Caitlin
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- KAYT-lin
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #681 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #2,326 for girls
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Caitlin is a girls' name of Greek origin. In 2025 it ranked 681st for girls in the UK (59 babies) and 2,326th for girls in the US (78 babies).
What does Caitlin mean?
Greek: Irish form of Katherine, via Old French Cateline
Irish form of Katherine, traditionally pronounced KAT-leen in Irish.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Caitlin a girl's or a boy's name?
Caitlin is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 59 girls in the UK and 78 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Caitlin in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #681among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 59about 1 in 4,700 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 52% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 59 girls in the UK were named Caitlin, making it the 681st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 432nd. Its busiest year was 1999, with 2,890 girls.
2025 had the fewest girls named Caitlin since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Caitlin in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2007. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In 2025, 124 girls in the UK were given Caitlin or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #384, up from #681 for this spelling alone.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,028th in England and Wales, 301st in Scotland and 132nd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1994 (#98) and 2004 (#25).
Caitlin in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #681 |
| 2024 | 91 | #492 |
| 2023 | 76 | #553 |
| 2022 | 78 | #547 |
| 2021 | 116 | #425 |
| 2020 | 109 | #432 |
| 2019 | 153 | #334 |
| 2018 | 209 | #263 |
| 2017 | 248 | #228 |
| 2016 | 304 | #197 |
| 2015 | 451 | #138 |
| 2014 | 513 | #122 |
| 2013 | 598 | #102 |
| 2012 | 747 | #88 |
| 2011 | 904 | #71 |
| 2010 | 1,149 | #58 |
| 2009 | 1,292 | #52 |
| 2008 | 1,633 | #42 |
| 2007 | 1,888 | #31 |
| 2006 | 1,933 | #32 |
| 2005 | 2,230 | #28 |
| 2004 | 2,534 | #25 |
| 2003 | 2,774 | #21 |
| 2002 | 2,780 | #19 |
| 2001 | 2,847 | #20 |
| 2000 | 2,777 | #18 |
| 1999 | 2,890 | #18 |
| 1998 | 2,752 | #20 |
| 1997 | 1,867 | #34 |
| 1996 | 1,345 | #54 |
How popular is Caitlin in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,326among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 78about 1 in 21,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 33% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 78 girls in the US were named Caitlin, making it the 2,326th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,792nd. Its busiest year was 1988, with 7,246 girls. It first appears in the records in 1955.
2025 had fewer girls named Caitlin than any year since 1973.
Half of all the girls named Caitlin in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 1999, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 813 girls in the US were given Caitlin or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #407, up from #2,326 for this spelling alone.
Caitlin in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 78 | #2,326 |
| 2024 | 121 | #1,681 |
| 2023 | 80 | #2,288 |
| 2022 | 86 | #2,193 |
| 2021 | 85 | #2,186 |
| 2020 | 110 | #1,792 |
| 2019 | 142 | #1,523 |
| 2018 | 166 | #1,360 |
| 2017 | 161 | #1,416 |
| 2016 | 218 | #1,152 |
| 2015 | 477 | #610 |
| 2014 | 628 | #496 |
| 2013 | 654 | #468 |
| 2012 | 741 | #424 |
| 2011 | 803 | #393 |
| 2010 | 945 | #339 |
| 2009 | 1,216 | #267 |
| 2008 | 1,459 | #235 |
| 2007 | 1,530 | #230 |
| 2006 | 1,653 | #209 |
| 2005 | 1,778 | #193 |
| 2004 | 2,050 | #161 |
| 2003 | 2,311 | #142 |
| 2002 | 2,743 | #123 |
| 2001 | 3,456 | #89 |
| 2000 | 4,102 | #76 |
| 1999 | 3,461 | #93 |
| 1998 | 4,175 | #78 |
| 1997 | 3,862 | #88 |
| 1996 | 4,268 | #84 |
| 1995 | 4,384 | #81 |
| 1994 | 4,654 | #78 |
| 1993 | 5,428 | #64 |
| 1992 | 5,391 | #62 |
| 1991 | 6,384 | #55 |
| 1990 | 7,026 | #50 |
| 1989 | 7,025 | #49 |
| 1988 | 7,246 | #44 |
| 1987 | 4,989 | #63 |
| 1986 | 3,881 | #69 |
| 1985 | 3,593 | #77 |
| 1984 | 2,343 | #118 |
| 1983 | 1,885 | #153 |
| 1982 | 1,192 | #219 |
| 1981 | 784 | #309 |
| 1980 | 646 | #365 |
| 1979 | 254 | #677 |
| 1978 | 222 | #711 |
| 1977 | 172 | #854 |
| 1976 | 133 | #956 |
| 1975 | 94 | #1,219 |
| 1974 | 80 | #1,323 |
| 1973 | 68 | #1,433 |
| 1972 | 77 | #1,313 |
| 1971 | 77 | #1,376 |
| 1970 | 100 | #1,154 |
| 1969 | 93 | #1,153 |
| 1968 | 77 | #1,244 |
| 1967 | 61 | #1,416 |
| 1966 | 51 | #1,568 |
| 1965 | 34 | #1,993 |
| 1964 | 24 | #2,529 |
| 1963 | 25 | #2,423 |
| 1962 | 14 | #3,437 |
| 1961 | 16 | #3,188 |
| 1960 | 15 | #3,211 |
| 1959 | 8 | #4,624 |
| 1958 | 7 | #4,889 |
| 1957 | 13 | #3,308 |
| 1956 | 13 | #3,320 |
| 1955 | 5 | #5,826 |
Nicknames for Caitlin
- Cait 6 girls in the UK in 2025
- Caity
Names like Caitlin
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Keira Caoimhe Cassidy Ffion Caragh Erin Aoibheann Teagan Raegan Eden Megan Cadi
Other spellings of Caitlin
Kaitlyn Caitlyn Katelyn Kaitlin Kaitlynn Caitlynn Kaytlyn Kaithlyn
Names related to Caitlin
Caitlan Caitlen Caitlain Catelin Catlin Cathalina Catlyn Caitlynne
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Caitlin: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/caitlin, updated 20 October 2026.