Kaitlyn
Meaning
phonetic respelling of Caitlin, Irish form of Catherine, traditionally translated as 'pure'
The story
Kaitlyn is what happened when American ears met an Irish name. Caitlín is the Irish form of Catherine, a name traditionally translated as pure, but its Gaelic pronunciation is closer to Kathleen than to Kate-lin; Americans heard the spelling, said it their own way, and then respelled it phonetically, with a K up front. The result was essentially a new name, unknown in the records before the 1970s, and it moved like one: Kaitlyn rocketed through the 1980s and 1990s and peaked in the 2000s, one of the fastest rises of its generation, trailing a comet's tail of spellings from Katelyn to Caitlyn. It has fallen back substantially since, as fast risers often do. What remains is a name with an old soul and a young face: Catherine's ancient meaning wearing a distinctly American spelling.
Kaitlyn 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. Kaitlyn peaked in the 2000s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
38 people · the #80,303 first name in Brazil · median age 8
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
How the spellings raced
Across these spellings, Kaitlyn led in the group’s busiest decade, the 1990s. So far in the 2020s, Kaitlyn leads.
Decade totals from US Social Security birth registrations. Every line uses the same scale. The 2020s covers 2020–2025.
When you meet Kaitlyn
Most people given the name Kaitlyn in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Kaitlyn deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Kaitlyn 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 Kaitlyn fits with your family’s names and surname.
Does Kaitlyn fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Kaitlyn to your family’s tree →