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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201951peak #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 1951

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #6 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 46 girlsAKMaine: #16 for girls · 135 births · 1 in 65 girlsMEVermont: #8 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 47 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #5 for girls · 136 births · 1 in 37 girlsNHWashington: #6 for girls · 578 births · 1 in 45 girlsWAIdaho: #5 for girls · 138 births · 1 in 45 girlsIDMontana: #8 for girls · 135 births · 1 in 45 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #6 for girls · 169 births · 1 in 41 girlsNDMinnesota: #6 for girls · 938 births · 1 in 38 girlsMNIllinois: #8 for girls · 1,916 births · 1 in 48 girlsILWisconsin: #5 for girls · 1,223 births · 1 in 32 girlsWIMichigan: #9 for girls · 1,620 births · 1 in 48 girlsMINew York: #6 for girls · 3,286 births · 1 in 46 girlsNYMassachusetts: #5 for girls · 1,362 births · 1 in 34 girlsMARhode Island: #5 for girls · 258 births · 1 in 31 girlsRIOregon: #6 for girls · 339 births · 1 in 46 girlsORNevada: #9 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 44 girlsNVWyoming: #8 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 49 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #7 for girls · 172 births · 1 in 44 girlsSDIowa: #10 for girls · 481 births · 1 in 61 girlsIAIndiana: #19 for girls · 612 births · 1 in 74 girlsINOhio: #11 for girls · 1,620 births · 1 in 56 girlsOHPennsylvania: #7 for girls · 2,497 births · 1 in 43 girlsPANew Jersey: #6 for girls · 1,347 births · 1 in 34 girlsNJConnecticut: #6 for girls · 488 births · 1 in 38 girlsCTCalifornia: #6 for girls · 2,417 births · 1 in 50 girlsCAUtah: #7 for girls · 170 births · 1 in 54 girlsUTColorado: #10 for girls · 275 births · 1 in 57 girlsCONebraska: #8 for girls · 305 births · 1 in 47 girlsNEMissouri: #15 for girls · 570 births · 1 in 72 girlsMOKentucky: #43 for girls · 173 births · 1 in 196 girlsKYWest Virginia: #66 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 280 girlsWVVirginia: #48 for girls · 169 births · 1 in 222 girlsVAMaryland: #12 for girls · 350 births · 1 in 71 girlsMDDelaware: #9 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 46 girlsDEArizona: #13 for girls · 113 births · 1 in 87 girlsAZNew Mexico: #24 for girls · 76 births · 1 in 126 girlsNMKansas: #16 for girls · 274 births · 1 in 71 girlsKSArkansas: #78 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 356 girlsARTennessee: #75 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 348 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #88 for girls · 117 births · 1 in 432 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #108 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 444 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #9 for girls · 229 births · 1 in 55 girlsDCOklahoma: #42 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 168 girlsOKLouisiana: #31 for girls · 249 births · 1 in 142 girlsLAMississippi: #126 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 530 girlsMSAlabama: #128 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 609 girlsALGeorgia: #111 for girls · 90 births · 1 in 477 girlsGAHawaii: #9 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 64 girlsHITexas: #37 for girls · 568 births · 1 in 180 girlsTXFlorida: #29 for girls · 227 births · 1 in 136 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Rhode Island#5 · 1 in 31
  2. Wisconsin#5 · 1 in 32
  3. Massachusetts#5 · 1 in 34
  4. New Hampshire#5 · 1 in 37
  5. Idaho#5 · 1 in 45

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Idaho#51381 in 45
Massachusetts#51,3621 in 34
New Hampshire#51361 in 37
Rhode Island#52581 in 31
Wisconsin#51,2231 in 32
Alaska#6291 in 46
California#62,4171 in 50
Connecticut#64881 in 38
Minnesota#69381 in 38
New Jersey#61,3471 in 34
New York#63,2861 in 46
North Dakota#61691 in 41
Oregon#63391 in 46
Washington#65781 in 45
Pennsylvania#72,4971 in 43
South Dakota#71721 in 44
Utah#71701 in 54
Illinois#81,9161 in 48
Montana#81351 in 45
Nebraska#83051 in 47
Vermont#8751 in 47
Wyoming#8571 in 49
Delaware#9681 in 46
District of Columbia#92291 in 55
Hawaii#9821 in 64
Michigan#91,6201 in 48
Nevada#9281 in 44
Colorado#102751 in 57
Iowa#104811 in 61
Ohio#111,6201 in 56
Maryland#123501 in 71
Arizona#131131 in 87
Missouri#155701 in 72
Kansas#162741 in 71
Maine#161351 in 65
Indiana#196121 in 74
New Mexico#24761 in 126
Florida#292271 in 136
Louisiana#312491 in 142
Texas#375681 in 180
Oklahoma#421281 in 168
Kentucky#431731 in 196
Virginia#481691 in 222
West Virginia#66821 in 280
Tennessee#751091 in 348
Arkansas#78581 in 356
North Carolina#881171 in 432
South Carolina#108641 in 444
Georgia#111901 in 477
Mississippi#126541 in 530
Alabama#128601 in 609

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 1951

girls
#10
26,716 births · 1 in 67 girls
boys
#1,279
33 births · 1 in 57,056 boys

Top girls' names in 1951

  1. #1Linda73,982
  2. #2Mary65,721
  3. #3Patricia56,446
  4. #4Deborah42,053
  5. #5Barbara40,617
  6. #6Susan40,228
  7. #7Nancy30,346
  8. #8Karen27,998
  9. #9Sandra27,665
  10. #10Kathleen26,716

Top boys' names in 1951

  1. #1James87,256
  2. #2Robert86,353
  3. #3John81,569
  4. #4Michael72,807
  5. #5David64,788
  6. #6William62,781
  7. #7Richard54,541
  8. #8Thomas48,275
  9. #9Charles39,406
  10. #10Gary38,160
  11. #1,279Kathleen33
More about 1951

girls

1,800,859 girls got a published name in 1951; 1 in 67 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 99.8% of the 6,213 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kathleen
  1. #7Nancy30,346
  2. #8Karen27,998
  3. #9Sandra27,665
  4. #10Kathleen26,716
  5. #11Carol24,781
  6. #12Donna24,074
  7. #13Sharon23,920
Biggest movers since 1950
Risers
  1. ↑ 345Rhona#1,333 → #988
  2. ↑ 307Bobbi#1,153 → #846
  3. ↑ 296Ricki#1,090 → #794
  4. ↑ 295Mindy#771 → #476
  5. ↑ 288Sharleen#1,053 → #765
Fallers
  1. ↓ 395Sharman#668 → #1,063
  2. ↓ 343Manuela#773 → #1,116
  3. ↓ 294Allie#945 → #1,239
  4. ↓ 253Merrie#937 → #1,190
  5. ↓ 252Olive#891 → #1,143

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

boys

1,882,837 boys got a published name in 1951; 1 in 57,056 of them was named Kathleen, which outranked 69.9% of the 4,253 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. #1,261Rondal34
  2. #1,261Vernie34
  3. #1,261Welton34
  4. #1,279Kathleen33
  5. #1,279Arley33
  6. #1,279Augustin33
  7. #1,279Chip33
  8. #1,295Abner32
  9. #1,295Angus32
  10. #1,295Arnoldo32

Tied with 15 names at #1,279; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1950
Risers
  1. ↑ 428Kimberly#1,139 → #711
  2. ↑ 372Cole#1,364 → #992
  3. ↑ 357Wayland#1,272 → #915
  4. ↑ 354Ricki#1,139 → #785
  5. ↑ 346Lou#1,289 → #943
Fallers
  1. ↓ 944Jory#960 → #1,904
  2. ↓ 502Samual#960 → #1,462
  3. ↓ 426Carlyle#918 → #1,344
  4. ↓ 319Shaun#899 → #1,218
  5. ↓ 318Tex#977 → #1,295

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

See the top 100 for 1951 →