Kaitlyn is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Kaitlyn means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Kaitlyn across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Kaitlyn has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Kaitlyn is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “pure”. A modern spelling of Caitlin, an Irish form of Katherine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 166,921 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 5,124 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 960 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 271 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 488 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 358 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Kaitlyn per year, United States (1971 to 2025). United States peaked in 2000 (8,771/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2006 (400/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2005 (72/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2008 (39/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2003 (22/yr).
Kaitlyn has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 2000, when it ranked #75 nationally (given to 8,999 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 2000s.
Caitlin · Katelyn · Kaitlin · Caitlyn · Katelynn · Katlyn · Kaitlynn · Katelin
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