Kathleen
Meaning
pure
Kathleen 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
19 more branches of this family
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Kathleen peaked in the 1950s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
5,575 people · the #2,550 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 37,037 · median age 21
Among people named Kathleen living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2000s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 82 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Kathleen
People given the name Kathleen in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1979. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Kathleen deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Kathleen 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 Kathleen fits with your family’s names and surname.
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