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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201931peak #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 1931

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedAKMaine: #57 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 212 girlsMEVermont: #79 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 286 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #89 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 326 girlsNHWashington: #51 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 223 girlsWAIdaho: #121 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 436 girlsIDMontana: #80 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 285 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #78 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 282 girlsNDMinnesota: #59 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 231 girlsMNIllinois: #97 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 475 girlsILWisconsin: #54 for girls · 102 births · 1 in 226 girlsWIMichigan: #56 for girls · 162 births · 1 in 238 girlsMINew York: #55 for girls · 396 births · 1 in 229 girlsNYMassachusetts: #61 for girls · 120 births · 1 in 249 girlsMARhode Island: #83 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 320 girlsRIOregon: #82 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 337 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #91 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 366 girlsSDIowa: #59 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 254 girlsIAIndiana: #89 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 401 girlsINOhio: #71 for girls · 157 births · 1 in 300 girlsOHPennsylvania: #75 for girls · 244 births · 1 in 317 girlsPANew Jersey: #60 for girls · 110 births · 1 in 250 girlsNJConnecticut: #69 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 296 girlsCTCalifornia: #100 for girls · 79 births · 1 in 444 girlsCAUtah: #93 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 363 girlsUTColorado: #117 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 450 girlsCONebraska: #84 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 382 girlsNEMissouri: #87 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 380 girlsMOKentucky: #78 for girls · 80 births · 1 in 325 girlsKYWest Virginia: #64 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 260 girlsWVVirginia: #99 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 411 girlsVAMaryland: #106 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 514 girlsMDDelaware: #77 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 285 girlsDEArizona: #93 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 300 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Kathleen, so not publishedNMKansas: #98 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 439 girlsKSArkansas: #111 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 439 girlsARTennessee: #122 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 536 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #106 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 412 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #121 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 527 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #90 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 396 girlsDCOklahoma: #157 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 708 girlsOKLouisiana: #214 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,011 girlsLAMississippi: #153 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 648 girlsMSAlabama: #143 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 606 girlsALGeorgia: #131 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 548 girlsGAHawaii: #83 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 303 girlsHITexas: #248 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,196 girlsTXFlorida: #105 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 419 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Washington#51 · 1 in 223
  2. Wisconsin#54 · 1 in 226
  3. New York#55 · 1 in 229
  4. Michigan#56 · 1 in 238
  5. Maine#57 · 1 in 212

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Washington#51391 in 223
Wisconsin#541021 in 226
New York#553961 in 229
Michigan#561621 in 238
Maine#57301 in 212
Iowa#59721 in 254
Minnesota#59851 in 231
New Jersey#601101 in 250
Massachusetts#611201 in 249
West Virginia#64661 in 260
Connecticut#69351 in 296
Ohio#711571 in 300
Pennsylvania#752441 in 317
Delaware#7751 in 285
Kentucky#78801 in 325
North Dakota#78211 in 282
Vermont#7991 in 286
Montana#80121 in 285
Oregon#82151 in 337
Hawaii#83111 in 303
Rhode Island#83141 in 320
Nebraska#84281 in 382
Missouri#87711 in 380
Indiana#89591 in 401
New Hampshire#8991 in 326
District of Columbia#9091 in 396
South Dakota#91151 in 366
Arizona#93131 in 300
Utah#93121 in 363
Illinois#971111 in 475
Kansas#98321 in 439
Virginia#99551 in 411
California#100791 in 444
Florida#105281 in 419
Maryland#106231 in 514
North Carolina#106821 in 412
Arkansas#111401 in 439
Colorado#117181 in 450
Idaho#12181 in 436
South Carolina#121351 in 527
Tennessee#122491 in 536
Georgia#131541 in 548
Alabama#143471 in 606
Mississippi#153311 in 648
Oklahoma#157311 in 708
Louisiana#214201 in 1,011
Texas#248471 in 1,196
Alaska———
Nevada———
New Mexico———
Wyoming———

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 1931

girls
#87
2,799 births · 1 in 380 girls
boys
#2,101
13 births · 1 in 79,974 boys

Top girls' names in 1931

  1. #1Mary60,299
  2. #2Betty36,105
  3. #3Dorothy26,524
  4. #4Barbara21,804
  5. #5Joan19,119
  6. #6Helen17,664
  7. #7Margaret17,332
  8. #8Patricia16,469
  9. #9Shirley14,405
  10. #10Doris13,629
  11. #87Kathleen2,799

Top boys' names in 1931

  1. #1Robert60,519
  2. #2James51,212
  3. #3John48,423
  4. #4William43,280
  5. #5Richard31,822
  6. #6Charles29,934
  7. #7Donald29,100
  8. #8George20,685
  9. #9Joseph19,326
  10. #10Thomas16,847
  11. #2,101Kathleen13
More about 1931

girls

1,064,728 girls got a published name in 1931; 1 in 380 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 98.3% of the 4,979 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kathleen
  1. #84Marian2,862
  2. #85Beatrice2,844
  3. #86Elsie2,807
  4. #87Kathleen2,799
  5. #88Rosemary2,722
  6. #89Laura2,669
  7. #90Joann2,655
Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 857Joretta#1,320 → #463
  2. ↑ 519Joetta#1,460 → #941
  3. ↑ 483Sondra#1,031 → #548
  4. ↑ 465Celine#1,460 → #995
  5. ↑ 343Lynne#1,274 → #931
Fallers
  1. ↓ 377Margo#937 → #1,314
  2. ↓ 349Rachael#894 → #1,243
  3. ↓ 317Evelyne#926 → #1,243
  4. ↓ 287Vivien#971 → #1,258
  5. ↓ 283Ardeth#629 → #912

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

boys

1,039,665 boys got a published name in 1931; 1 in 79,974 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 51.4% of the 4,321 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kathleen
  1. #2,003Windle14
  2. #2,003Ysidro14
  3. #2,003Zachary14
  4. #2,101Kathleen13
  5. #2,101Almond13
  6. #2,101Ara13
  7. #2,101Arlee13
  8. #2,207Agapito12
  9. #2,207Alexis12
  10. #2,207Alger12

Tied with 105 names at #2,101; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1930
Risers
  1. ↑ 794Kenton#1,753 → #959
  2. ↑ 420Wyman#1,330 → #910
  3. ↑ 408Jan#1,330 → #922
  4. ↑ 402Leopold#1,399 → #997
  5. ↑ 398Odie#1,299 → #901
Fallers
  1. ↓ 513Artie#976 → #1,489
  2. ↓ 469Arnulfo#892 → #1,361
  3. ↓ 385Rose#832 → #1,217
  4. ↓ 357Ransom#976 → #1,333
  5. ↓ 343Jodie#990 → #1,333

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

See the top 100 for 1931 →