Cathleen
Meaning
“Irish variant of Kathleen, traditionally 'pure'”
Cathleen around the world
One shared root links 26 names across 8 languages.
Shared root: from Greek Aikaterine, linked since early Christian times to katharos "pure", though the name's true origin predates that folk etymology
The constellation
18 more branches of this family
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Cathleen peaked in the 1950s and the 1960s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
45 people · the #71,575 first name in Brazil · median age 24
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Cathleen
Most people given the name Cathleen in the United States were born between 1950 and 1979. The Cathleen you meet today is most often in her 50s or 60s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Cathleen deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Cathleen truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Cathleen fits with your family’s names and surname.
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