Caitlin
Girl name · Celtic · Gaelic · Greek · Irish
Meaningpure · Irish form of Katherine
- US rank
- #2,326
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #44 in 1988
78 babies were named Caitlin in the US in 2025. It has dropped 534 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1955–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Caitlin you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Caitlin
Caitlin Clark
American basketball player (born 2002)
Choose Caitlin and your child shares a first name with Caitlin Clark, an American basketball player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Caitlin, like who?” Caitlin Clark's Wikipedia article is available in 34 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Caitlin Clark on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: John Mac, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 20,619 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Caitlin, 78 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Caitlin would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCaitlin first shows up in US birth records in 1955, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 70 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1988, when it ranked #44. Today it's #2,326, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowCaitlin was 47× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 443 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 20,619.
- TrendCaitlin has slipped 534 places over the last five years and now sits at #2,326. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningCaitlin is an Irish form of Katherine, which means “pure”. Our records link it to Celtic, Gaelic and Greek roots.
About the name Caitlin
Caitlin is a girl name of Celtic, Gaelic and Greek origin meaning “pure”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-lin”. US birth records list Caitlin for girls from 1955 to 2025, in 71 of those 71 years. Its best year was 1988, when it ranked #44 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #2,326, with 78 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesGaelic namesGreek namesIrish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.6 | 217,391 girls |
| 1960s | 24 | 42,301 girls |
| 1970s | 83 | 12,109 girls |
| 1980s | 1,918 | 521 girls |
| 1990s | 2,710 | 369 girls |
| 2000s | 1,215 | 823 girls |
| 2010s | 280 | 3,573 girls |
| 2020s | 58 | 17,376 girls |
Other spellings of Caitlin
More Celtic girl names
- Girl name: Evelyn · possibly desired
- Girl name: Isla · from Islay
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Girl name: Maeve · she who intoxicates
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
- Unisex name: Quinn · descendant of Conn
- Unisex name: Blair · plain, field
- Girl name: Olive · olive tree
Questions about the name Caitlin
What does the name Caitlin mean?
Caitlin means “pure” in Irish, as a form of Katherine.
What is the origin of the name Caitlin?
Caitlin has Celtic, Gaelic, Greek, Irish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Evelyn, Isla, Riley.
Is Caitlin a boy or girl name?
Caitlin is a girl name.
How popular is the name Caitlin?
Caitlin ranked #2,326 for US girls in 2025, given to 78 babies. Its best year was 1988 (#44).