Girl nameCurrently #175 in the USFalling
Katherine
KATH-rin//ˈkæθrɪn//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19909 lettersStarts with K
Meaning & origin
Pure
Katherine's exact roots are debated but it is widely linked to the Greek 'katharos', meaning pure, and was borne by the 4th-century martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria. One of the most enduring names in the English language, it has spawned countless spellings and nicknames across centuries of use.
Katherine's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Katherine |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 507 |
| 1881 | 504 |
| 1882 | 591 |
| 1883 | 583 |
| 1884 | 671 |
| 1885 | 751 |
| 1886 | 744 |
| 1887 | 794 |
| 1888 | 893 |
| 1889 | 889 |
| 1890 | 900 |
| 1891 | 808 |
| 1892 | 961 |
| 1893 | 963 |
| 1894 | 948 |
| 1895 | 968 |
| 1896 | 1,047 |
| 1897 | 962 |
| 1898 | 914 |
| 1899 | 942 |
| 1900 | 1,201 |
| 1901 | 890 |
| 1902 | 1,009 |
| 1903 | 1,020 |
| 1904 | 1,139 |
| 1905 | 1,190 |
| 1906 | 1,277 |
| 1907 | 1,418 |
| 1908 | 1,430 |
| 1909 | 1,565 |
| 1910 | 1,752 |
| 1911 | 1,863 |
| 1912 | 2,546 |
| 1913 | 2,804 |
| 1914 | 3,660 |
| 1915 | 4,496 |
| 1916 | 4,814 |
| 1917 | 4,970 |
| 1918 | 5,203 |
| 1919 | 4,857 |
| 1920 | 5,293 |
| 1921 | 5,168 |
| 1922 | 4,840 |
| 1923 | 4,603 |
| 1924 | 4,713 |
| 1925 | 4,253 |
| 1926 | 3,853 |
| 1927 | 3,742 |
| 1928 | 3,417 |
| 1929 | 3,029 |
| 1930 | 3,055 |
| 1931 | 2,637 |
| 1932 | 2,602 |
| 1933 | 2,344 |
| 1934 | 2,403 |
| 1935 | 2,354 |
| 1936 | 2,368 |
| 1937 | 2,498 |
| 1938 | 2,582 |
| 1939 | 2,489 |
| 1940 | 2,719 |
| 1941 | 3,019 |
| 1942 | 3,389 |
| 1943 | 3,630 |
| 1944 | 3,538 |
| 1945 | 3,404 |
| 1946 | 4,201 |
| 1947 | 4,904 |
| 1948 | 5,179 |
| 1949 | 6,058 |
| 1950 | 6,214 |
| 1951 | 6,938 |
| 1952 | 6,908 |
| 1953 | 6,572 |
| 1954 | 6,756 |
| 1955 | 7,255 |
| 1956 | 7,102 |
| 1957 | 6,654 |
| 1958 | 6,450 |
| 1959 | 6,152 |
| 1960 | 5,900 |
| 1961 | 5,651 |
| 1962 | 5,280 |
| 1963 | 5,143 |
| 1964 | 5,090 |
| 1965 | 4,716 |
| 1966 | 4,510 |
| 1967 | 4,575 |
| 1968 | 4,726 |
| 1969 | 5,183 |
| 1970 | 5,459 |
| 1971 | 5,152 |
| 1972 | 4,523 |
| 1973 | 4,431 |
| 1974 | 4,549 |
| 1975 | 4,870 |
| 1976 | 5,069 |
| 1977 | 6,050 |
| 1978 | 6,651 |
| 1979 | 7,501 |
| 1980 | 8,048 |
| 1981 | 8,464 |
| 1982 | 9,225 |
| 1983 | 9,716 |
| 1984 | 10,204 |
| 1985 | 10,168 |
| 1986 | 10,614 |
| 1987 | 10,482 |
| 1988 | 11,196 |
| 1989 | 11,509 |
| 1990 | 11,659 |
| 1991 | 11,515 |
| 1992 | 11,169 |
| 1993 | 10,525 |
| 1994 | 9,605 |
| 1995 | 9,000 |
| 1996 | 8,892 |
| 1997 | 8,528 |
| 1998 | 8,218 |
| 1999 | 7,942 |
| 2000 | 8,122 |
| 2001 | 7,894 |
| 2002 | 7,224 |
| 2003 | 7,136 |
| 2004 | 6,774 |
| 2005 | 6,406 |
| 2006 | 6,301 |
| 2007 | 5,825 |
| 2008 | 5,356 |
| 2009 | 4,436 |
| 2010 | 3,869 |
| 2011 | 4,194 |
| 2012 | 3,953 |
| 2013 | 3,723 |
| 2014 | 3,696 |
| 2015 | 3,463 |
| 2016 | 3,275 |
| 2017 | 2,861 |
| 2018 | 2,676 |
| 2019 | 2,450 |
| 2020 | 1,991 |
| 2021 | 1,819 |
| 2022 | 1,738 |
| 2023 | 1,703 |
| 2024 | 1,740 |
Katherine through the decades
- Katherine peaked in 1990, when 11,659 babies were named Katherine in the US.
- The 1980s were Katherine's strongest decade, averaging 9,963 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Katherine has fallen 50% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Katherine currently ranks #175 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
KateKatieKit
Variants & spellings
CatherineKathrynKatarina
Famous people named Katherine
- Catherine, Princess of Wales — British royal