Kathleen
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- KATH-leen
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #899 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #1,150 for girls
Kathleen is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “associated with katharos, pure”. In 2025 it ranked 899th for girls in the UK (42 babies) and 1,150th for girls in the US (201 babies).
What does Kathleen mean?
Greek: anglicised form of Irish Caitlín, from Katherine
“associated with katharos, pure”
Anglicised form of the Irish Caitlín, which came from Norman French Cateline, a form of Catherine.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Kathleen a girl's or a boy's name?
Kathleen is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 42 girls in the UK and 201 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kathleen in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 899th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 42 about 1 in 6,600 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 42 girls in the UK were named Kathleen, making it the 899th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 804th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 220 girls.
Half of all the girls named Kathleen in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 997th in England and Wales, 632nd in Scotland and 334th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#18), 1914 (#5), 1924 (#6), 1934 (#17), 1944 (#19), 1954 (#28) and 1964 (#77).
Kathleen in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 42 | #899 |
| 2024 | 36 | #1,020 |
| 2023 | 40 | #949 |
| 2022 | 45 | #847 |
| 2021 | 35 | #1,054 |
| 2020 | 50 | #804 |
| 2019 | 40 | #960 |
| 2018 | 47 | #860 |
| 2017 | 64 | #700 |
| 2016 | 49 | #841 |
| 2015 | 54 | #784 |
| 2014 | 63 | #692 |
| 2013 | 68 | #651 |
| 2012 | 61 | #725 |
| 2011 | 63 | #688 |
| 2010 | 75 | #583 |
| 2009 | 59 | #687 |
| 2008 | 71 | #586 |
| 2007 | 79 | #529 |
| 2006 | 90 | #476 |
| 2005 | 100 | #422 |
| 2004 | 91 | #434 |
| 2003 | 105 | #386 |
| 2002 | 116 | #338 |
| 2001 | 105 | #354 |
| 2000 | 135 | #299 |
| 1999 | 149 | #282 |
| 1998 | 176 | #259 |
| 1997 | 175 | #252 |
| 1996 | 220 | #207 |
How popular is Kathleen in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 1,150th among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 201 about 1 in 8,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 20% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 201 girls in the US were named Kathleen, making it the 1,150th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,004th. Its busiest year was 1951, with 26,716 girls.
2025 had fewer girls named Kathleen than any year since 1895.
Half of all the girls named Kathleen in the US since 1880 were born between 1947 and 1964, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 211 girls in the US were given Kathleen or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,024, up from #1,150 for this spelling alone.
- Kathleen 201
- Cathleen 10
Kathleen in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | #1,150 |
| 2024 | 223 | #1,099 |
| 2023 | 248 | #1,018 |
| 2022 | 228 | #1,095 |
| 2021 | 262 | #987 |
| 2020 | 253 | #1,004 |
| 2019 | 280 | #944 |
| 2018 | 306 | #883 |
| 2017 | 314 | #870 |
| 2016 | 341 | #838 |
| 2015 | 341 | #823 |
| 2014 | 422 | #674 |
| 2013 | 432 | #660 |
| 2012 | 427 | #661 |
| 2011 | 451 | #630 |
| 2010 | 495 | #594 |
| 2009 | 542 | #563 |
| 2008 | 704 | #448 |
| 2007 | 779 | #422 |
| 2006 | 878 | #371 |
| 2005 | 934 | #339 |
| 2004 | 1,002 | #316 |
| 2003 | 1,096 | #284 |
| 2002 | 1,208 | #262 |
| 2001 | 1,337 | #236 |
| 2000 | 1,585 | #204 |
| 1999 | 1,630 | #192 |
| 1998 | 1,739 | #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 | 3,371 | #102 |
| 1990 | 3,670 | #92 |
| 1989 | 3,596 | #90 |
| 1988 | 3,927 | #75 |
| 1987 | 4,165 | #72 |
| 1986 | 4,129 | #68 |
| 1985 | 4,087 | #68 |
| 1984 | 3,985 | #71 |
| 1983 | 3,923 | #73 |
| 1982 | 3,949 | #77 |
| 1981 | 3,776 | #82 |
| 1980 | 3,857 | #82 |
| 1979 | 3,641 | #84 |
| 1978 | 3,743 | #79 |
| 1977 | 3,649 | #80 |
| 1976 | 3,405 | #82 |
| 1975 | 3,545 | #80 |
| 1974 | 3,953 | #76 |
| 1973 | 4,250 | #68 |
| 1972 | 5,097 | #57 |
| 1971 | 6,154 | #53 |
| 1970 | 7,410 | #45 |
| 1969 | 8,299 | #42 |
| 1968 | 8,729 | #40 |
| 1967 | 9,209 | #40 |
| 1966 | 10,491 | #37 |
| 1965 | 11,778 | #34 |
| 1964 | 13,231 | #30 |
| 1963 | 13,547 | #28 |
| 1962 | 14,188 | #29 |
| 1961 | 15,395 | #29 |
| 1960 | 16,085 | #27 |
| 1959 | 17,629 | #23 |
| 1958 | 19,205 | #21 |
| 1957 | 19,742 | #21 |
| 1956 | 21,377 | #17 |
| 1955 | 22,014 | #17 |
| 1954 | 22,455 | #14 |
| 1953 | 23,731 | #14 |
| 1952 | 25,767 | #11 |
| 1951 | 26,716 | #10 |
| 1950 | 25,706 | #10 |
| 1949 | 26,357 | #9 |
| 1948 | 23,257 | #10 |
| 1947 | 22,095 | #11 |
| 1946 | 18,760 | #16 |
| 1945 | 13,802 | #19 |
| 1944 | 13,004 | #20 |
| 1943 | 12,153 | #22 |
| 1942 | 10,696 | #24 |
| 1941 | 7,160 | #36 |
| 1940 | 5,697 | #40 |
| 1939 | 4,656 | #48 |
| 1938 | 4,228 | #58 |
| 1937 | 3,743 | #61 |
| 1936 | 3,352 | #67 |
| 1935 | 3,353 | #71 |
| 1934 | 3,279 | #74 |
| 1933 | 3,121 | #77 |
| 1932 | 2,945 | #83 |
| 1931 | 2,799 | #87 |
| 1930 | 3,074 | #84 |
| 1929 | 2,941 | #89 |
| 1928 | 3,151 | #82 |
| 1927 | 3,265 | #83 |
| 1926 | 3,277 | #83 |
| 1925 | 3,503 | #81 |
| 1924 | 3,663 | #76 |
| 1923 | 3,754 | #70 |
| 1922 | 3,466 | #80 |
| 1921 | 3,419 | #83 |
| 1920 | 3,158 | #91 |
| 1919 | 2,587 | #101 |
| 1918 | 2,629 | #99 |
| 1917 | 2,358 | #101 |
| 1916 | 2,154 | #104 |
| 1915 | 1,940 | #104 |
| 1914 | 1,475 | #110 |
| 1913 | 1,179 | #110 |
| 1912 | 985 | #118 |
| 1911 | 663 | #126 |
| 1910 | 622 | #131 |
| 1909 | 527 | #135 |
| 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 | #170 |
| 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 | #227 |
| 1890 | 105 | #239 |
| 1889 | 87 | #251 |
| 1888 | 67 | #286 |
| 1887 | 50 | #302 |
| 1886 | 43 | #318 |
| 1885 | 38 | #329 |
| 1884 | 27 | #385 |
| 1883 | 21 | #411 |
| 1882 | 22 | #377 |
| 1881 | 13 | #470 |
| 1880 | 21 | #352 |
Nicknames for Kathleen
Names like Kathleen
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Eileen, Ffion, Caitlin, Megan, Connie, Ellen, Helen, Karen, Nancy, Caragh, Aoibheann, Daneen
Other spellings of Kathleen
Names related to Kathleen
Katelyn, Katelin, Katlyn, Katelan, Katlin, Kaitlen, Katelyne, Kathalina, Kathlyn, Katalena, Kaithlyn
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, “Kathleen: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kathleen, updated 20 October 2026.