Chaelyn
A feminine name of American origin meaning "beautiful meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 74 living Americans carry the first name Chaelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Chaelyn today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chaelyn births was 2011 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chaelyn. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chaelyn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
74
~ 1 in 4,631,815 Americans
Peak year
2011
8 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2012 SSA rank
#17,421
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Chaelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chaelyn from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 41 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Chaelyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chaelyn 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 Chaelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chaelyn
The name Chaelyn is a relatively modern invention, with its origins likely stemming from a combination of the French name Chanel and the English name Lyn. It does not have any direct roots in ancient languages or cultures.
While the name itself is new, its components can be traced back to various sources. The first part, "Chael," may be inspired by the French fashion designer Coco Chanel, whose real name was Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel. Chanel was born in 1883 and revolutionized the fashion industry with her iconic styles and fragrances.
The second part, "lyn," is a common English name derived from the Old English word "lind," meaning a lime or linden tree. Lyn has been used as a standalone name or as a shortened version of names like Lynette or Lyndsey.
Despite its modern origins, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Chaelyn. One of the earliest recorded instances is Chaelyn Daugherty, an American actress born in 1982, known for her roles in films like "The Faculty" and "A Walk to Remember."
Another Chaelyn of note is Chaelyn Fritzler, an American gymnast who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where she won a silver medal as part of the U.S. women's gymnastics team.
In the literary world, Chaelyn Brown is an American author and playwright, known for her works exploring themes of identity and family dynamics. Her play "Delirium" premiered in 2015 and received critical acclaim.
Chaelyn Ross is an Australian fashion designer who founded the eponymous label "Chaelyn Ross" in 2010, specializing in sustainable and ethically-produced clothing.
Lastly, Chaelyn Woodley is a Canadian artist and sculptor, whose works often incorporate natural materials and explore the intersection of art and environmentalism. Her sculptures have been exhibited in galleries across North America.
While the name Chaelyn may be relatively new, it has already made its mark in various fields, from entertainment and sports to literature and fashion, showcasing its versatility and appeal in the modern era.
People
Chaelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chaelyn 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
Chaelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chaelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 74 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chaelyn 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 4,631,815 US residents.
Is Chaelyn a common name?
We classify Chaelyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 75 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chaelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Chaelyn was 2011, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chaelyn is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Chaelyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chaelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chaelyn 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 Chaelyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chaelyn 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 Chaelyn 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Chaelyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.