UK girl's name
Cailyn
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly related to "Kathleen".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cailyn is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cailyn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5666, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 11 births.
This profile covers 87 England and Wales registrations across 15 recorded years from 2001 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 121 living people in the UK are called Cailyn. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cailyn ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 11 girls were registered as Cailyn.
- • Cailyn ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #444 in 2011.
- • About 121 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cailyn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5666
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
11 births
Estimated living
121
2026
Meaning
What does Cailyn mean?
The name Cailyn is a modern variation of the traditional Irish name Caitlín, which is the Irish Gaelic form of the name Cathleen or Kathleen. The name Caitlín is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "cáith," which means "pure" or "beautiful." This name has its roots in ancient Celtic culture and can be traced back to Ireland and Scotland.
Historically, the name Caitlín was popular among Irish families, particularly in the medieval and early modern periods. It gained widespread recognition and usage after the spread of Christianity in Ireland, as many Irish saints and historical figures bore variations of this name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caitlín can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, where it is mentioned in reference to a 7th-century Irish princess named Caitlín Ní Dhiarmada.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Caitlín or its variations. One of the most famous was Saint Cathleen (1566-1638), an Irish Catholic nun and missionary who worked in the New World and became known for her humanitarian efforts among Native American communities.
Another prominent figure was Kathleen Ní Houlihan (circa 1300-1350), a legendary figure in Irish folklore who personified Ireland and inspired Irish nationalism during the struggles for independence from British rule.
In literature, the name Caitlín was immortalized in the works of Irish poets such as William Butler Yeats, who wrote the famous poem "Cathleen Ni Houlihan" in 1892, and James Joyce, who featured characters with variations of the name in his novels.
Additionally, the name Caitlín has been borne by several influential women throughout history, including Kathleen "Kit" Coleman (1856-1915), an American journalist and activist for women's rights, and Kathleen Burke (1913-1980), a renowned Irish actress and singer.
While the modern variation "Cailyn" is a more recent spelling, it retains the rich cultural heritage and symbolism of its Irish Gaelic roots, representing purity, beauty, and a connection to the ancient Celtic traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cailyn over time
The chart below shows babies named Cailyn registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cailyn, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cailyn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cailyn was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3961 | 47 | 8 |
| 2000s | #3445 | 40 | 7 |
Geography
Where Cailyn is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cailyn. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Cailyn ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #444 in 2011.
Across the UK
Cailyn in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#666 in 2017
7 years of NRS records, 32 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#444 in 2011
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Cailyn
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Cailyn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cailyn in the UK right now?
In 2018, Cailyn was ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Cailyn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 11 babies registered as Cailyn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cailyn?
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly related to "Kathleen".
How many people are called Cailyn in the UK?
A total of 87 babies have been registered as Cailyn across the 15 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 32 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Cailyn most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Cailyn ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #444 in 2011. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.