Kathryn
A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Catherine.
Every Kathryn since 1880 — 456,515 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Kathryn
Kathryn is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #729 in 2025 with 381 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 456,515 American babies have been named Kathryn. Its peak came in 1952, when 8,517 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kathryn stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Kathryn year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 381 | #729 | — | — |
| 2024 | 393 | #715 | — | — |
| 2023 | 432 | #678 | — | — |
| 2022 | 452 | #655 | — | — |
| 2021 | 510 | #589 | — | — |
| 2020 | 574 | #525 | — | — |
| 2019 | 651 | #484 | — | — |
| 2018 | 699 | #452 | — | — |
| 2017 | 748 | #427 | — | — |
| 2016 | 839 | #396 | — | — |
| 2015 | 1,021 | #318 | — | — |
| 2014 | 1,118 | #293 | — | — |
| 2013 | 1,184 | #270 | — | — |
| 2012 | 1,230 | #264 | — | — |
| 2011 | 1,339 | #236 | — | — |
| 2010 | 1,370 | #230 | — | — |
| 2009 | 1,520 | #213 | 6 | #11,732 |
| 2008 | 1,782 | #190 | — | — |
| 2007 | 2,216 | #163 | 5 | #13,414 |
| 2006 | 2,420 | #143 | 5 | #13,045 |
| 2005 | 2,579 | #125 | 6 | #10,802 |
| 2004 | 2,757 | #122 | 18 | #4,693 |
| 2003 | 2,948 | #117 | — | — |
| 2002 | 3,109 | #108 | 6 | #10,059 |
| 2001 | 3,332 | #97 | 6 | #9,927 |
| 2000 | 3,644 | #89 | — | — |
| 1995 | 4,328 | #83 | 7 | #7,393 |
| 1990 | 6,353 | #57 | 7 | #6,806 |
| 1985 | 6,634 | #48 | 29 | #1,993 |
| 1980 | 5,527 | #50 | 25 | #2,143 |
| 1975 | 2,947 | #99 | 9 | #3,795 |
| 1970 | 3,719 | #104 | 11 | #2,983 |
| 1965 | 4,157 | #87 | 10 | #2,697 |
| 1960 | 5,868 | #82 | 16 | #2,077 |
| 1955 | 7,640 | #59 | 14 | #2,184 |
| 1950 | 7,863 | #46 | 6 | #3,509 |
| 1945 | 3,971 | #65 | 15 | #1,821 |
| 1940 | 2,438 | #103 | 11 | #2,247 |
| 1935 | 2,127 | #111 | 11 | #2,330 |
| 1930 | 2,515 | #101 | 14 | #2,133 |
| 1925 | 3,262 | #88 | 5 | #4,578 |
| 1920 | 4,082 | #67 | 11 | #2,679 |
| 1915 | 3,778 | #60 | 10 | #2,542 |
| 1910 | 1,198 | #80 | — | — |
| 1905 | 788 | #86 | — | — |
| 1900 | 721 | #93 | — | — |
| 1895 | 585 | #90 | — | — |
| 1890 | 474 | #91 | — | — |
| 1885 | 320 | #93 | — | — |
| 1880 | 204 | #103 | — | — |
Famous people named Kathryn
- Kathryn Bigelow Film director · b. 1951
- Kathryn Joosten Actor · 1939–2012
- Kathryn Morris Actor · b. 1969
- Kathryn Adams Actor · 1893–1959
- Kathryn Grayson Actor · 1922–2010
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kathryn mean?
A female given name from Ancient Greek, variant of Catherine.
How popular is the name Kathryn in 2025?
Kathryn ranked #729 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 381 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Kathryn?
456,515 babies have been named Kathryn in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Kathryn most popular?
Kathryn peaked in 1952, when 8,517 newborns received the name.
Is Kathryn a boy or girl name?
Kathryn is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Kathryn rising or falling?
Kathryn is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Kathryn?
Well-known people named Kathryn include Kathryn Bigelow (film director), Kathryn Joosten (actor), Kathryn Morris (actor).