Kaislyn
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly a combination of elements meaning "pure" and "little".
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the first name Kaislyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaislyn today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaislyn births was 2019 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaislyn. 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.
People living today
198
~ 1 in 1,731,083 Americans
Peak year
2019
29 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,684
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Kaislyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaislyn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 107 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaislyn 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 Kaislyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaislyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaislyn
The name Kaislyn is a relatively modern invention, likely created in the late 20th or early 21st century. It does not appear to have any direct linguistic roots or associations with specific cultures or historical figures. The name is thought to be a combination of the English name 'Kay' and the suffix '-lyn', which is derived from the Welsh word 'llyn' meaning 'lake' or 'pool'.
While the name Kaislyn itself does not have a long historical lineage, some of its components can be traced back to earlier periods. The name Kay, for instance, is a shortened form of the name Katherine, which has its origins in the Greek name Aikaterine. This name is derived from the Greek words 'katharos' (pure) and 'eirenē' (peace), and it became popular in the Christian tradition due to its association with the early Christian martyr, St. Catherine of Alexandria.
The suffix '-lyn' has its roots in Welsh and Celtic languages, where it was often used as a diminutive or affectionate form of a name. While it is commonly used in modern English names, its historical usage in Welsh names can be traced back to medieval times.
Due to the relatively recent coinage of the name Kaislyn, there are no notable historical figures or records associated with this specific spelling. However, some individuals who have borne this name in modern times include Kaislyn Ridley, an American singer and songwriter born in 1992, and Kaislyn Lay, a Canadian actress born in 2006.
It is worth noting that while the name Kaislyn may not have a long historical lineage, it reflects the modern trend of creating unique and unconventional names by combining elements from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. This practice has become increasingly popular in recent decades, as parents seek to give their children distinctive names that stand out.
People
Kaislyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaislyn as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kaislyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaislyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 198 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaislyn 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 1,731,083 US residents.
Is Kaislyn a common name?
We classify Kaislyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 199 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaislyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaislyn was 2019, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaislyn is about 6 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 Kaislyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaislyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaislyn 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 Kaislyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaislyn 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 Kaislyn 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 Americans are named Kaislyn?
See how many people have the name Kaislyn on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.