Kathleen was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #9 in 1949 but is far less common today.
Kathleen is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,156 for girl births in the United States (and #2,203 across all names), given to 201 babies. Kathleen was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1951 (26,716 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | 201 | #1,156 | — |
| 2024 | 223 | 223 | #1,100 | — |
| 2023 | 248 | 248 | #1,023 | — |
| 2022 | 228 | 228 | #1,097 | — |
| 2021 | 262 | 262 | #987 | — |
| 2020 | 253 | 253 | #1,005 | — |
| 2019 | 280 | 280 | #944 | — |
| 2018 | 306 | 306 | #885 | — |
| 2017 | 314 | 314 | #873 | — |
| 2016 | 341 | 341 | #838 | — |
| 2015 | 341 | 341 | #824 | — |
| 2014 | 422 | 422 | #674 | — |
| 2013 | 432 | 432 | #660 | — |
| 2012 | 427 | 427 | #662 | — |
| 2011 | 451 | 451 | #632 | — |
| 2010 | 495 | 495 | #596 | — |
| 2009 | 542 | 542 | #564 | — |
| 2008 | 704 | 704 | #448 | — |
| 2007 | 779 | 779 | #422 | — |
| 2006 | 878 | 878 | #371 | — |
| 2005 | 934 | 934 | #339 | — |
| 2004 | 1,002 | 1,002 | #316 | — |
| 2003 | 1,096 | 1,101 | #284 | — |
| 2002 | 1,208 | 1,216 | #262 | — |
| 2001 | 1,337 | 1,342 | #237 | — |
| 2000 | 1,585 | 1,585 | #204 | — |
| 1999 | 1,630 | 1,630 | #192 | — |
| 1998 | 1,739 | 1,755 | #171 | — |
| 1997 | 1,742 | — | #175 | — |
| 1996 | 2,107 | — | #152 | — |
| 1995 | 2,280 | — | #139 | — |
| 1994 | 2,430 | — | #130 | — |
| 1993 | 2,742 | — | #118 | — |
| 1992 | 3,135 | — | #108 | — |
| 1991 | 3,376 | — | #102 | #8,890 |
| 1990 | 3,684 | — | #92 | #4,085 |
| 1989 | 3,623 | — | #90 | #2,441 |
| 1988 | 3,938 | — | #75 | #4,313 |
| 1987 | 4,185 | — | #72 | #2,680 |
| 1986 | 4,145 | — | #68 | #3,066 |
| 1985 | 4,109 | — | #68 | #2,388 |
| 1984 | 4,010 | — | #71 | #2,129 |
| 1983 | 3,943 | — | #73 | #2,457 |
| 1982 | 3,968 | — | #77 | #2,557 |
| 1981 | 3,790 | — | #82 | #3,131 |
| 1980 | 3,867 | — | #82 | #3,992 |
| 1979 | 3,649 | — | #84 | #4,635 |
| 1978 | 3,760 | — | #79 | #2,611 |
| 1977 | 3,665 | — | #80 | #2,730 |
| 1976 | 3,420 | — | #82 | #2,762 |
| 1975 | 3,563 | — | #80 | #2,403 |
| 1974 | 3,976 | — | #76 | #1,957 |
| 1973 | 4,269 | — | #68 | #2,175 |
| 1972 | 5,119 | — | #57 | #1,945 |
| 1971 | 6,171 | — | #53 | #2,325 |
| 1970 | 7,433 | — | #45 | #1,876 |
| 1969 | 8,323 | — | #42 | #1,707 |
| 1968 | 8,762 | — | #40 | #1,351 |
| 1967 | 9,240 | — | #40 | #1,378 |
| 1966 | 10,524 | — | #37 | #1,331 |
| 1965 | 11,811 | — | #34 | #1,348 |
| 1964 | 13,259 | — | #30 | #1,499 |
| 1963 | 13,576 | — | #28 | #1,468 |
| 1962 | 14,218 | — | #29 | #1,444 |
| 1961 | 15,422 | — | #29 | #1,561 |
| 1960 | 16,117 | — | #27 | #1,414 |
| 1959 | 17,677 | — | #23 | #1,126 |
| 1958 | 19,255 | — | #21 | #1,084 |
| 1957 | 19,778 | — | #21 | #1,308 |
| 1956 | 21,417 | — | #17 | #1,209 |
| 1955 | 22,047 | — | #17 | #1,328 |
| 1954 | 22,496 | — | #14 | #1,178 |
| 1953 | 23,766 | — | #14 | #1,270 |
| 1952 | 25,805 | — | #11 | #1,205 |
| 1951 | 26,749 | — | #10 | #1,285 |
| 1950 | 25,746 | — | #10 | #1,133 |
| 1949 | 26,413 | — | #9 | #930 |
| 1948 | 23,295 | — | #10 | #1,169 |
| 1947 | 22,143 | — | #11 | #1,045 |
| 1946 | 18,793 | — | #16 | #1,226 |
| 1945 | 13,837 | — | #19 | #1,112 |
| 1944 | 13,031 | — | #20 | #1,300 |
| 1943 | 12,186 | — | #22 | #1,201 |
| 1942 | 10,732 | — | #24 | #1,155 |
| 1941 | 7,190 | — | #36 | #1,222 |
| 1940 | 5,723 | — | #40 | #1,323 |
| 1939 | 4,674 | — | #48 | #1,608 |
| 1938 | 4,247 | — | #58 | #1,589 |
| 1937 | 3,758 | — | #61 | #1,874 |
| 1936 | 3,364 | — | #67 | #2,127 |
| 1935 | 3,367 | — | #71 | #1,988 |
| 1934 | 3,302 | — | #74 | #1,445 |
| 1933 | 3,136 | — | #77 | #1,875 |
| 1932 | 2,958 | — | #83 | #2,151 |
| 1931 | 2,812 | — | #87 | #2,160 |
| 1930 | 3,090 | — | #84 | #1,930 |
| 1929 | 2,961 | — | #89 | #1,705 |
| 1928 | 3,166 | — | #82 | #2,108 |
| 1927 | 3,274 | — | #83 | #3,030 |
| 1926 | 3,282 | — | #83 | #4,524 |
| 1925 | 3,514 | — | #81 | #2,676 |
| 1924 | 3,670 | — | #76 | #3,676 |
| 1923 | 3,764 | — | #70 | #2,857 |
| 1922 | 3,466 | — | #80 | — |
| 1921 | 3,424 | — | #83 | #4,669 |
| 1920 | 3,158 | — | #91 | — |
| 1919 | 2,587 | — | #101 | — |
| 1918 | 2,629 | — | #99 | — |
| 1917 | 2,358 | — | #101 | — |
| 1916 | 2,162 | — | #104 | #3,058 |
| 1915 | 1,946 | — | #104 | #3,630 |
| 1914 | 1,475 | — | #110 | — |
| 1913 | 1,179 | — | #110 | — |
| 1912 | 985 | — | #118 | — |
| 1911 | 663 | — | #126 | — |
| 1910 | 622 | — | #131 | — |
| 1909 | 527 | — | #136 | — |
| 1908 | 527 | — | #132 | — |
| 1907 | 440 | — | #149 | — |
| 1906 | 412 | — | #143 | — |
| 1905 | 386 | — | #152 | — |
| 1904 | 362 | — | #147 | — |
| 1903 | 352 | — | #149 | — |
| 1902 | 325 | — | #159 | — |
| 1901 | 272 | — | #169 | — |
| 1900 | 321 | — | #171 | — |
| 1899 | 230 | — | #184 | — |
| 1898 | 306 | — | #163 | — |
| 1897 | 250 | — | #173 | — |
| 1896 | 259 | — | #169 | — |
| 1895 | 192 | — | #196 | — |
| 1894 | 168 | — | #205 | — |
| 1893 | 170 | — | #196 | — |
| 1892 | 149 | — | #208 | — |
| 1891 | 113 | — | #228 | — |
| 1890 | 105 | — | #239 | — |
| 1889 | 87 | — | #252 | — |
| 1888 | 67 | — | #286 | — |
| 1887 | 50 | — | #302 | — |
| 1886 | 43 | — | #321 | — |
| 1885 | 38 | — | #333 | — |
| 1884 | 27 | — | #387 | — |
| 1883 | 21 | — | #418 | — |
| 1882 | 22 | — | #384 | — |
| 1881 | 13 | — | #477 | — |
| 1880 | 21 | — | #358 | — |