Baby Name Popularity Profile

Kathryn

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Kathryn.

✦ Pure 🌍 Greek, English traditional royal
National Rank (2025) #729
All-Time Peak Rank #45 Achieved 1951
Total U.S. Births 455,423 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.1% Boy / 99.9% Girl Female Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 8,504 births in 1952
💡 The Kathryn Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Pure
Language Origin Greek, English
Origin Type multiple
Derived from the Greek name Aikaterine, meaning 'pure'. Kathryn is an English variant.
Common Nicknames
Kate Kathy Katie Kit
Alternative Spellings
Katherine Catherine Katharine Katheryn
Pronunciation: KATH-rin
Themes & Categories
traditional royal
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Kathryn

According to SSA data, Kathryn achieved its highest historical rank of #45 in 1951. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1952 with 8,504 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 62.7%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Kathryn across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -62.7% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 8,504 births in 1952
Years in Top 100 104 yrs
Years in Top 500 140 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 3,276
1890s: 5,653
1900s: 8,333
1910s: 29,235
1920s: 33,791
1930s: 22,583
1940s: 44,581
1950s: 77,803
1960s: 44,864
1970s: 36,434
1980s: 62,443
1990s: 47,179
2000s: 26,307
2010s: 10,199
2020s: 2,742

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Kat-hryn
Letter Count 7 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 54.1% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 54.1% of SSA names. Starts with K, a letter used by only 7.8% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Kathryn.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Iowa
Top States Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Iowa #623 9,432 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #444 13,098 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 4,950 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #547 13,315 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #356 35,211 1918 42.6% Decline
Wyoming Unranked 877 1951 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 2,193 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 1,292 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 1,892 1957 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 2,092 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #629 5,917 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 962 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #656 25,667 1951 48.3% Decline
District of Columbia Unranked 2,482 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut Unranked 5,957 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #761 4,444 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon Unranked 4,905 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho Unranked 2,132 1950 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 738 1990 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 1,657 1990 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #769 25,830 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #759 19,604 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #595 12,178 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #771 11,445 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma Unranked 6,911 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #1143 8,204 1952 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 4,562 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 2,114 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #613 5,590 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts Unranked 11,380 1983 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey Unranked 12,100 1984 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #914 6,548 1989 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #987 9,642 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 1,530 1990 Insufficient historical volume
New York #1005 29,650 1951 42.3% Decline
Arkansas #612 4,088 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #554 10,058 1987 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #646 9,777 1990 42.9% Decline
New Mexico Unranked 1,824 1952 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #357 4,914 1986 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #333 6,192 1957 Insufficient historical volume
California #1069 32,601 1953 28.6% Decline
Florida #1030 11,118 1990 42.3% Decline
Kentucky #536 5,588 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #515 6,679 1988 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #1137 23,685 1953 41.5% Decline
Arizona #864 3,584 1987 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #585 3,627 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana #454 5,150 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 854 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 905 1989 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Douglas Dennis Nelson Robin Lee Ray Michael Stephen Stanley Frankie
👧 Sister Suggestions
Leslie Laurel Myra Gwen Roxanne Darlene Therese Unknown Maureen Janette

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