Cathlyn
Feminine name derived from Catherine, of Greek origin meaning "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 284 living Americans carry the first name Cathlyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cathlyn today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cathlyn births was 1953 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cathlyn. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Cathlyn with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
284
~ 1 in 1,206,881 Americans
Peak year
1953
18 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,525
Tracked since 1923
Census
Cathlyn in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 475 people with the first name Cathlyn, which placed it at #21,400 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#21,400
National first-name rank
People counted
475
475 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cathlyn
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cathlyn is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and Black (8.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Cathlyn described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Cathlyn at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.3% · 296
- Asian and Pacific Islander16.2% · 77
- Black or African American8.4% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 40
- Two or more races3.8% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 4
Popularity
Cathlyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cathlyn from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 105 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cathlyn by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cathlyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cathlyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Cathlyn
The name Cathlyn is believed to have originated from the Gaelic language, which was spoken in regions such as Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. It is derived from the combination of two Gaelic words, "cath" meaning battle or warrior, and "linn" meaning pool or lake. Thus, the name Cathlyn can be interpreted as "warrior's pool" or "battle pool."
The earliest known use of the name Cathlyn can be traced back to the 12th century, during the Middle Ages. It was initially more common in Ireland, where it was spelled as "Caitlín" or "Caitlíona." The name gained popularity among Irish families, particularly those with ties to the warrior culture or those who lived near significant bodies of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cathlyn is found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval Irish chronicle that documented notable events from the 5th to the 16th century. The entry from the year 1185 mentions a woman named "Caitlín Ní Chonchobair," who was the daughter of a prominent Irish chieftain.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Cathlyn or its variations. One such individual was Cathlyn O'Byrne (c. 1510 – 1580), an Irish noblewoman who played a significant role in the Desmond Rebellions against English rule in Ireland during the 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Cathlyn MacGregor (1628 – 1692), a Scottish woman who was known for her bravery and leadership during the Jacobite uprisings. She was a staunch supporter of the Stuart monarchy and led a group of Highland warriors in several battles against the English forces.
In the literary realm, Cathlyn Stewart (1701 – 1772) was a Scottish poet and playwright whose works were celebrated for their vivid descriptions of Scottish landscapes and culture. Her collection of poems, "The Highland Muse," remains a significant contribution to Scottish literature.
Moving forward in time, Cathlyn O'Donovan (1845 – 1932) was an Irish journalist and activist who fought for women's rights and Irish independence. She co-founded the Irish Women's Franchise League and played a pivotal role in the struggle for women's suffrage in Ireland.
Lastly, Cathlyn Byrne (1913 – 2002) was an Irish-American actress who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the 20th century. She is best known for her roles in classic movies such as "The Quiet Man" and "The Maltese Falcon."
People
Cathlyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cathlyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cathlyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cathlyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 284 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cathlyn going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,206,881 US residents.
Is Cathlyn a common name?
We classify Cathlyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 361 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cathlyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Cathlyn was 1953, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cathlyn is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Cathlyn in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 475 people with the name Cathlyn, or 0.16 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,400 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Cathlyn in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Cathlyn?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Cathlyn appears almost entirely female. Of the 472 people counted with this name, 99.2% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Cathlyn?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Cathlyn is White at 62.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (16.2%) and Black (8.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Cathlyn most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Cathlyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.3% (296 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cathlyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cathlyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cathlyn in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cathlyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cathlyn in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cathlyn can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Cathlyn?
See how many Americans are named Cathlyn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.