Kathryn
A respelled form of Katherine, which descends from the Greek Aikaterine and was later reshaped under the influence of katharos, meaning pure.
Kathryn in 2025
Kathryn was given to 381 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,426th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 8,702 babies born.
The history of Kathryn
Kathryn reached its highest point in 1952, when 8,517 babies were given the name, ranking 90th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 85th, in 1951.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 456,515 babies have been named Kathryn. Half of them were born before 1960, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Kathryn by decade
| Decade | Babies named Kathryn | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,276 | 135 |
| 1890s | 5,660 | 119 |
| 1900s | 8,333 | 101 |
| 1910s | 29,280 | 105 |
| 1920s | 33,868 | 113 |
| 1930s | 22,672 | 183 |
| 1940s | 44,683 | 98 |
| 1950s | 77,933 | 85 |
| 1960s | 44,988 | 152 |
| 1970s | 36,562 | 107 |
| 1980s | 62,723 | 101 |
| 1990s | 47,237 | 123 |
| 2000s | 26,359 | 196 |
| 2010s | 10,199 | 481 |
| 2020s | 2,742 | 1,030 |
Where Kathryn is heading
Kathryn has fallen 63% over the past decade, from 1,021 babies in 2015 to 381 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1952 peak — Kathryn is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Kathryn
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Kathryn.