girl's name
Kaitlin
KAYT-lin (English)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 65,259
Kaitlin reached English through Irish, not from it — Catherine went into Old French as Cateline, into Irish as Caitlín, and back out again respelled. Its own root has never been securely explained. The pure gloss was attached long after the fact.
- Kaitlin is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1995, when 3,612 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 94,733 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1971.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kaitlin Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 166 |
| 1980s | 12,498 |
| 1990s | 30,852 |
| 2000s | 11,655 |
| 2010s | 2,058 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 201 |
What Kaitlin Means
Kaitlin means pure by convention rather than by derivation. It carries Catherine's meaning, and Catherine's Greek original has never been securely traced to any source word.
Where Kaitlin Comes From
Kaitlin respells Caitlin, the Irish Caitlín, which came from the Old French Cateline — itself from Catherine, the Greek Aikaterine. That original has never been securely derived; the pure gloss comes from a later association with katharos, clean, which looks like an explanation applied after the fact. So the name traveled Greek to French to Irish to English and picked up a meaning on the way rather than carrying one from the start. Kari, in this same group, descends from the same unsettled root by a Scandinavian route.
Kaitlin in Use
Kaitlin peaked in the United States in 1995, when 3,612 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 4,171st in the United States on 35 births and 7,616th in England and Wales on 3, across 65,259 lifetime births in two markets. That is a fall from 3,612 to 35 in thirty years, one of the steeper declines on record.
How Popular Is Kaitlin?
In 2025, Kaitlin was given to 35 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Kaitlin Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Kaitlin
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kaitlin Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kaitlin over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Kaitlin
- English KAYT-lin /ˈkeɪt.lɪn/
1 nickname for Kaitlin
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Kaitlin in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Caitlin
Sibling Names for Kaitlin
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kaitlin — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kaitlin
What does the name Kaitlin mean?
Pure by convention, through Catherine — whose own root is unexplained.
Is Kaitlin Irish?
The Caitlín form is, but the name reached Irish from Old French and Greek before that.
Does Catherine mean pure?
Not originally. That came from a later association with the Greek katharos.
How popular is Kaitlin?
4,171st in the United States, down from 3,612 births in 1995.
Is Kaitlin a girl's or a boy's name?
Kaitlin is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kaitlin?
Kaitlin has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Kaitlin?
Kaitlin is usually shortened to Kate.
Is Kaitlin a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kaitlin currently ranks #4,171 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.