Cathleen
Girl name · Celtic · Irish · Scottish
Meaningpure · Irish form of Katherine
- US rank
- #9,457
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #251 in 1956
10 babies were named Cathleen in the US in 2025. It has dropped 504 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, 1896–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Cathleen you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Cathleen
Cathleen Nesbitt
British actress (1888-1982)
Choose Cathleen and your child shares a first name with Cathleen Nesbitt, a British actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Cathleen, like who?” Cathleen Nesbitt's Wikipedia article is available in 20 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Cathleen Nesbitt on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 161,290 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Cathleen, 10 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Cathleen would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryCathleen first shows up in US birth records in 1896, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 129 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1956, when it ranked #251. Today it's #9,457, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowCathleen was 5.0× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 32,468 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 161,290.
- TrendCathleen has slipped 504 places over the last five years and now sits at #9,457. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningCathleen is an Irish form of Katherine, which means “pure”. Our records link it to Celtic, Irish and Scottish roots.
About the name Cathleen
Cathleen is a girl name of Celtic, Irish and Scottish origin meaning “pure”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with C and ending in “-een”. US birth records list Cathleen for girls from 1896 to 2025, in 128 of those 130 years. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked #251 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #9,457, with 10 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesIrish namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 17 | 58,910 girls |
| 1900s | 43 | 23,408 girls |
| 1910s | 45 | 22,267 girls |
| 1920s | 54 | 18,646 girls |
| 1930s | 56 | 17,835 girls |
| 1940s | 231 | 4,338 girls |
| 1950s | 490 | 2,041 girls |
| 1960s | 453 | 2,209 girls |
| 1970s | 221 | 4,521 girls |
| 1980s | 103 | 9,723 girls |
| 1990s | 53 | 18,936 girls |
| 2000s | 25 | 40,016 girls |
| 2010s | 11 | 87,032 girls |
| 2020s | 6.6 | 152,284 girls |
Other spellings of Cathleen
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 Cathleen
What does the name Cathleen mean?
Cathleen means “pure” in Irish, as a form of Katherine.
What is the origin of the name Cathleen?
Cathleen has Celtic, Irish, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Evelyn, Isla, Riley.
Is Cathleen a boy or girl name?
Cathleen is a girl name.
How popular is the name Cathleen?
Cathleen ranked #9,457 for US girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1956 (#251).