Kathyren
A feminine name combining the roots of "Katherine" and "Erin", suggesting purity and eternity.
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Kathyren. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kathyren today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kathyren births was 1962 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kathyren. 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
- • The typical person named Kathyren is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Kathyrens were born before 1967.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kathyren. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1962
7 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
1964 SSA rank
#7,245
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Kathyren: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kathyren from the 1950s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 17 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Kathyren remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kathyren 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 Kathyren 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 Kathyren
Kathyren is a relatively uncommon given name with an obscure origin. It is believed to have originated from a combination of two Old English words, "cath" meaning "pure" and "ryn" meaning "stream" or "river." The name was likely first used in medieval England, perhaps as a reference to a clear, pristine body of water.
The earliest known record of the name Kathyren dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in a parish register from the village of Wrotham in Kent, England. The entry recorded the birth of a girl named "Kathyren Wodeham" in the year 1267.
In the late 14th century, a woman named Kathyren Swynford (c. 1350 – 1403) became the third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and a son of King Edward III. Swynford's marriage to the Duke was controversial at the time, as she had been his longtime mistress before their marriage was legitimized by the Pope.
Another notable figure bearing the name Kathyren was Kathyren Parr (1512 – 1548), who was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. Parr was an influential figure during the English Reformation and was a strong advocate for the cause of reforming the Church of England.
In the 16th century, a woman named Kathyren Willoughby (c. 1520 – 1580) was a prominent courtier and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth I. Willoughby was known for her intelligence and wit, and was a patron of the arts and literature.
A more recent historical figure with the name Kathyren was Kathyren Mansfield (1888 – 1923), a celebrated New Zealand writer and pioneer of the modern short story. Mansfield's works, such as "The Garden Party" and "The Daughters of the Late Colonel," explored themes of feminism, social class, and the complexities of human relationships.
While the name Kathyren has been relatively rare throughout history, it has been carried by a handful of notable individuals from diverse backgrounds and eras. Despite its obscure origins, the name has endured as a unique and intriguing choice for parents seeking a distinctive and meaningful moniker for their child.
People
Kathyren + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kathyren 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
Kathyren: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kathyren?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kathyren 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Kathyren a common name?
We classify Kathyren as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 29 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kathyren most popular?
The single biggest year for Kathyren was 1962, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kathyren is about 69 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 Kathyren in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kathyren a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kathyren 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 Kathyren still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kathyren 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 Kathyren 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 common is the name Kathyren?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.