Kathleen

#1,150 for girls in 2025, 201 births · Last seen for boys in 1991 at #8,236
Given to girls 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1949 · 26,357 births
Debut · girls
21 births
In top 100 · girls
72 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
713,645
since 1880

Kathleen over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201915peak #9, 1949girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,150201—
2024#1,099223—
2023#1,018248—
2022#1,095228—
2021#987262—
2020#1,004253—
2019#944280—
2018#883306—
2017#870314—
2016#838341—
2015#823341—
2014#674422—
2013#660432—
2012#661427—
2011#630451—
2010#594495—
2009#563542—
2008#448704—
2007#422779—
2006#371878—
2005#339934—
2004#3161,002—
2003#2841,096—
2002#2621,208—
2001#2361,337—
2000#2041,585—
1999#1921,630—
1998#1711,739—
1997#1751,742—
1996#1522,107—
1995#1392,280—
1994#1302,430—
1993#1182,742—
1992#1083,135—
1991#1023,371#8,2365
1990#923,670#3,97114
1989#903,596#2,41627
1988#753,927#4,16211
1987#724,165#2,64120
1986#684,129#3,00516
1985#684,087#2,35722
1984#713,985#2,09825
1983#733,923#2,40820
1982#773,949#2,51819
1981#823,776#3,03014
1980#823,857#3,83810
1979#843,641#4,4038
1978#793,743#2,56817
1977#803,649#2,66516
1976#823,405#2,70915
1975#803,545#2,36118
1974#763,953#1,93423
1973#684,250#2,12419
1972#575,097#1,92822
1971#536,154#2,27917
1970#457,410#1,84723
1969#428,299#1,68024
1968#408,729#1,33933
1967#409,209#1,36431
1966#3710,491#1,32733
1965#3411,778#1,33533
1964#3013,231#1,48728
1963#2813,547#1,45529
1962#2914,188#1,42330
1961#2915,395#1,55227
1960#2716,085#1,40032
1959#2317,629#1,11748
1958#2119,205#1,08150
1957#2119,742#1,30036
1956#1721,377#1,20340
1955#1722,014#1,31333
1954#1422,455#1,16941
1953#1423,731#1,26135
1952#1125,767#1,19538
1951#1026,716#1,27933
1950#1025,706#1,12340
1949#926,357#92356
1948#1023,257#1,16038
1947#1122,095#1,03648
1946#1618,760#1,21733
1945#1913,802#1,10335
1944#2013,004#1,28227
1943#2212,153#1,18733
1942#2410,696#1,13936
1941#367,160#1,20930
1940#405,697#1,31126
1939#484,656#1,57818
1938#584,228#1,55919
1937#613,743#1,82815
1936#673,352#2,06212
1935#713,353#1,92914
1934#743,279#1,42523
1933#773,121#1,82915
1932#832,945#2,10113
1931#872,799#2,10113
1930#843,074#1,88916
1929#892,941#1,67220
1928#823,151#2,04815
1927#833,265#2,9129
1926#833,277#4,2015
1925#813,503#2,58811
1924#763,663#3,5057
1923#703,754#2,77210
1922#803,466—
1921#833,419#4,3225
1920#913,158—
1919#1012,587—
1918#992,629—
1917#1012,358—
1916#1042,154#2,9268
1915#1041,940#3,3926
1914#1101,475—
1913#1101,179—
1912#118985—
1911#126663—
1910#131622—
1909#135527—
1908#132527—
1907#149440—
1906#143412—
1905#152386—
1904#147362—
1903#149352—
1902#159325—
1901#169272—
1900#170321—
1899#184230—
1898#163306—
1897#173250—
1896#169259—
1895#196192—
1894#205168—
1893#196170—
1892#208149—
1891#227113—
1890#239105—
1889#25187—
1888#28667—
1887#30250—
1886#31843—
1885#32938—
1884#38527—
1883#41121—
1882#37722—
1881#47013—
1880#35221—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Kathleen was already there! It came in at #352, and was given to 21 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1881, when fewer than 14 girls a year got the name.

Where Kathleen is popular in 1915

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedAKMaine: #42 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 160 girlsMEVermont: #54 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 175 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #97 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 348 girlsNHWashington: #96 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 391 girlsWAIdaho: #98 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 308 girlsIDMontana: #92 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 361 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #130 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 606 girlsNDMinnesota: #113 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 567 girlsMNIllinois: #128 for girls · 83 births · 1 in 642 girlsILWisconsin: #128 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 605 girlsWIMichigan: #88 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 386 girlsMINew York: #85 for girls · 229 births · 1 in 400 girlsNYMassachusetts: #77 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 387 girlsMARhode Island: #131 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 647 girlsRIOregon: #91 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 312 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedNVWyoming: #66 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 185 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #184 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,012 girlsSDIowa: #108 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 500 girlsIAIndiana: #80 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 352 girlsINOhio: #115 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 557 girlsOHPennsylvania: #119 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 666 girlsPANew Jersey: #115 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 589 girlsNJConnecticut: #142 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 780 girlsCTCalifornia: #69 for girls · 65 births · 1 in 287 girlsCAUtah: #148 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 576 girlsUTColorado: #136 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 674 girlsCONebraska: #111 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 499 girlsNEMissouri: #120 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 518 girlsMOKentucky: #90 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 369 girlsKYWest Virginia: #51 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 205 girlsWVVirginia: #72 for girls · 88 births · 1 in 261 girlsVAMaryland: #132 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 705 girlsMDDelaware: #80 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 320 girlsDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedNMKansas: #129 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 607 girlsKSArkansas: #151 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 619 girlsARTennessee: #102 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 390 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #91 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 341 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #93 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 380 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #132 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 509 girlsOKLouisiana: #290 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,683 girlsLAMississippi: #119 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 474 girlsMSAlabama: #146 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 685 girlsALGeorgia: #138 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 592 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedHITexas: #170 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 707 girlsTXFlorida: #114 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 442 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Maine#42 · 1 in 160
  2. West Virginia#51 · 1 in 205
  3. Vermont#54 · 1 in 175
  4. Wyoming#66 · 1 in 185
  5. California#69 · 1 in 287

Best ever in a state: #3 in North Dakota, 1950.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Maine#42361 in 160
West Virginia#51721 in 205
Vermont#54141 in 175
Wyoming#6651 in 185
California#69651 in 287
Virginia#72881 in 261
Massachusetts#77841 in 387
Delaware#8051 in 320
Indiana#80651 in 352
New York#852291 in 400
Michigan#88721 in 386
Kentucky#90641 in 369
North Carolina#91851 in 341
Oregon#91151 in 312
Montana#92121 in 361
South Carolina#93461 in 380
Washington#96201 in 391
New Hampshire#9791 in 348
Idaho#98101 in 308
Tennessee#102551 in 390
Iowa#108381 in 500
Nebraska#111211 in 499
Minnesota#113351 in 567
Florida#114191 in 442
New Jersey#115461 in 589
Ohio#115821 in 557
Mississippi#119351 in 474
Pennsylvania#1191311 in 666
Missouri#120511 in 518
Illinois#128831 in 642
Wisconsin#128351 in 605
Kansas#129221 in 607
North Dakota#130111 in 606
Rhode Island#13171 in 647
Maryland#132171 in 705
Oklahoma#132331 in 509
Colorado#13691 in 674
Georgia#138491 in 592
Connecticut#142151 in 780
Alabama#146341 in 685
Utah#14871 in 576
Arkansas#151251 in 619
Texas#170611 in 707
South Dakota#18451 in 1,012
Louisiana#290101 in 1,683
Alaska———
Arizona———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
New Mexico———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Kathleen
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 51 spots since 2024 (#1,099 → #1,150)
  • 146 spots since 2020 (#1,004 → #1,150)
  • 327 spots since 2015 (#823 → #1,150)
  • Biggest jump: 93 spots in 1882 (#470 → #377)
  • Biggest drop: 149 spots in 2015 (#674 → #823)
Rise & fade · girls
69 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1949 at #9 (26,357 births)
  • Births halved by 1965, 16 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 4 yrs
  • Top 10: 4 yrs · run 1948–1951
  • Top 100: 72 yrs · run 1920–1990
  • Top 1,000: 141 yrs · run 1880–2019
Share of babies · girls
1 in 65
  • Highest: 1 in 65 girls born in 1949 were named Kathleen (1.5%)
  • Latest: 1 in 7,996 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 31.4% of all girls named Kathleen (224,342) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s389#251 (1889)#348
1890s1,942#163 (1898)#196
1900s3,924#132 (1908)#151
1910s16,592#99 (1918)#110
1920s33,597#70 (1923)#82
1930s34,550#48 (1939)#71
1940s152,981#9 (1949)#21
1950s224,342#10 (1951)#16
1960s120,952#27 (1960)#34
1970s44,847#45 (1970)#70
1980s39,394#68 (1986)#76
1990s24,846#92 (1990)#138
2000s10,065#204 (2000)#345
2010s3,809#594 (2010)#758
2020s1,415#987 (2021)#1,059

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Kathleen in 1915

girls
#104
1,940 births · 1 in 507 girls
boys
#3,392
6 births · 1 in 141,429 boys

Top girls' names in 1915

  1. #1Mary58,187
  2. #2Helen30,866
  3. #3Dorothy25,154
  4. #4Margaret23,054
  5. #5Ruth21,878
  6. #6Mildred15,254
  7. #7Anna15,119
  8. #8Elizabeth14,103
  9. #9Frances12,786
  10. #10Evelyn11,595
  11. #104Kathleen1,940

Top boys' names in 1915

  1. #1John47,576
  2. #2William38,563
  3. #3James33,773
  4. #4Robert28,737
  5. #5Joseph23,051
  6. #6George22,307
  7. #7Charles21,960
  8. #8Edward15,889
  9. #9Frank15,006
  10. #10Thomas11,490
  11. #3,392Kathleen6
More about 1915

girls

983,852 girls got a published name in 1915; 1 in 507 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 97.9% of the 4,967 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kathleen
  1. #101Inez2,005
  2. #102Nancy1,987
  3. #103Carrie1,968
  4. #104Kathleen1,940
  5. #105Fannie1,927
  6. #106Sara1,913
  7. #107Hilda1,891
Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 500Gerda#1,444 → #944
  2. ↑ 451Theda#1,034 → #583
  3. ↑ 441Dominga#1,385 → #944
  4. ↑ 354Vernon#1,344 → #990
  5. ↑ 308Loyce#1,147 → #839
Fallers
  1. ↓ 383Drusilla#956 → #1,339
  2. ↓ 342Rossie#798 → #1,140
  3. ↓ 335Arlie#855 → #1,190
  4. ↓ 329Orene#956 → #1,285
  5. ↓ 329Margot#988 → #1,317

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

848,575 boys got a published name in 1915; 1 in 141,429 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 22.7% of the 4,390 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kathleen
  1. #3,082Yates7
  2. #3,082Younger7
  3. #3,082Ysabel7
  4. #3,392Kathleen6
  5. #3,392Acey6
  6. #3,392Adair6
  7. #3,392Agustus6
  8. #3,825Abb5
  9. #3,825Abert5
  10. #3,825Abran5

Tied with 432 names at #3,392; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1914
Risers
  1. ↑ 691Eston#1,687 → #996
  2. ↑ 565Estill#1,545 → #980
  3. ↑ 545Garth#1,260 → #715
  4. ↑ 474Hiroshi#1,342 → #868
  5. ↑ 439Domingo#1,101 → #662
Fallers
  1. ↓ 674Gilmore#986 → #1,660
  2. ↓ 667Barnett#933 → #1,600
  3. ↓ 526Rose#884 → #1,410
  4. ↓ 517Toivo#855 → #1,372
  5. ↓ 461Sampson#949 → #1,410

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1915 →