Kathryn
Girl name · #729 in 2025 · Rare
Kathryn is currently the #729 girl name in the United States — 381 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #318, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,724 girls born in 2025 was named Kathryn.
Babies named Kathryn per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Kathryn first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 204 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1952, when 8,504 girls were named Kathryn — good for #48 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kathryn against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kathryn in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kathryn is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kathryn will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kathryn is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kathryn is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kathryn is most common in AL (0.8 per 1,000), SC (0.8 per 1,000), PA (0.7 per 1,000), LA (0.6 per 1,000), MN (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kathryn is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Kathryn
Statistically, parents drawn to Kathryn tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Marilyn, Jacquelyn, Kathleen, Claudia, and Carolyn.
MarilynJacquelynKathleenClaudiaCarolynEllenLeslieLaurel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kathryn | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 381 | #729 |
| 2024 | 393 | #714 |
| 2023 | 432 | #678 |
| 2022 | 452 | #655 |
| 2021 | 510 | #589 |
| 2020 | 574 | #525 |
| 2019 | 651 | #483 |
| 2018 | 699 | #452 |
| 2017 | 748 | #426 |
| 2016 | 839 | #396 |
| 2015 | 1,021 | #318 |
| 2014 | 1,118 | #292 |
| 2013 | 1,184 | #270 |
| 2012 | 1,230 | #264 |
| 2011 | 1,339 | #235 |
| 2010 | 1,370 | #230 |
| 2009 | 1,520 | #213 |
| 2008 | 1,782 | #190 |
| 2007 | 2,216 | #163 |
| 2006 | 2,420 | #143 |
| 2005 | 2,579 | #125 |
| 2004 | 2,757 | #122 |
| 2003 | 2,948 | #117 |
| 2002 | 3,109 | #108 |
| 2001 | 3,332 | #97 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kathryn a popular girl name?
Kathryn ranked #729 among girls in 2025 with 381 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #318.
When was the name Kathryn most popular?
Kathryn peaked in 1952, when 8,504 American girls received the name (ranked #48 that year). Since 1952 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kathryn?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,724 newborn American girls was named Kathryn. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.