Catherine
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- KATH-er-in
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #541 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #313 for girls
TimelessBig in Northern Ireland
Catherine is a girls' name of Greek origin. In 2025 it ranked 541st for girls in the UK (80 babies) and 313th for girls in the US (972 babies).
What does Catherine mean?
Greek: from Greek Aikaterine, long associated with katharos, pure
St Catherine of Alexandria, the early martyr remembered in the Catherine wheel, made the name popular across medieval Europe.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Catherine a girl's or a boy's name?
Catherine is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 80 girls in the UK and 972 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Catherine in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #541among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 80about 1 in 3,500 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 32% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 80 girls in the UK were named Catherine, making it the 541st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 381st. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,002 girls.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had the fewest girls named Catherine since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the girls named Catherine in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 590th in England and Wales, 387th in Scotland and 259th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#34), 1914 (#36), 1924 (#37), 1934 (#36), 1944 (#42), 1954 (#26), 1964 (#19), 1974 (#22), 1984 (#37) and 1994 (#56).
Catherine in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 80 | #541 |
| 2024 | 87 | #511 |
| 2023 | 97 | #458 |
| 2022 | 114 | #419 |
| 2021 | 123 | #402 |
| 2020 | 127 | #381 |
| 2019 | 125 | #384 |
| 2018 | 138 | #368 |
| 2017 | 194 | #281 |
| 2016 | 197 | #283 |
| 2015 | 232 | #242 |
| 2014 | 237 | #237 |
| 2013 | 270 | #208 |
| 2012 | 294 | #192 |
| 2011 | 280 | #203 |
| 2010 | 211 | #264 |
| 2009 | 244 | #226 |
| 2008 | 257 | #223 |
| 2007 | 332 | #184 |
| 2006 | 362 | #166 |
| 2005 | 353 | #170 |
| 2004 | 415 | #142 |
| 2003 | 505 | #115 |
| 2002 | 566 | #98 |
| 2001 | 639 | #91 |
| 2000 | 681 | #88 |
| 1999 | 760 | #80 |
| 1998 | 833 | #74 |
| 1997 | 925 | #71 |
| 1996 | 1,002 | #64 |
How popular is Catherine in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #313among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 972about 1 in 1,700 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 28% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 972 girls in the US were named Catherine, making it the 313th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 267th. Its busiest year was 1956, with 12,056 girls.
Half of all the girls named Catherine in the US since 1880 were born between 1926 and 1972, the years shaded on the chart below.
Catherine in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 972 | #313 |
| 2024 | 956 | #322 |
| 2023 | 933 | #331 |
| 2022 | 981 | #328 |
| 2021 | 1,005 | #323 |
| 2020 | 1,155 | #267 |
| 2019 | 1,312 | #241 |
| 2018 | 1,507 | #205 |
| 2017 | 1,584 | #198 |
| 2016 | 1,669 | #195 |
| 2015 | 1,807 | #177 |
| 2014 | 1,945 | #170 |
| 2013 | 1,868 | #170 |
| 2012 | 1,913 | #165 |
| 2011 | 1,937 | #161 |
| 2010 | 1,612 | #193 |
| 2009 | 1,892 | #176 |
| 2008 | 2,323 | #148 |
| 2007 | 2,472 | #142 |
| 2006 | 2,793 | #121 |
| 2005 | 2,985 | #109 |
| 2004 | 3,181 | #103 |
| 2003 | 3,231 | #106 |
| 2002 | 3,292 | #101 |
| 2001 | 3,731 | #81 |
| 2000 | 3,802 | #81 |
| 1999 | 3,401 | #98 |
| 1998 | 3,350 | #101 |
| 1997 | 3,591 | #96 |
| 1996 | 3,739 | #95 |
| 1995 | 3,860 | #90 |
| 1994 | 4,102 | #84 |
| 1993 | 4,475 | #75 |
| 1992 | 4,536 | #78 |
| 1991 | 4,815 | #72 |
| 1990 | 4,894 | #71 |
| 1989 | 4,559 | #67 |
| 1988 | 4,504 | #69 |
| 1987 | 4,108 | #74 |
| 1986 | 4,242 | #67 |
| 1985 | 4,297 | #65 |
| 1984 | 4,240 | #69 |
| 1983 | 4,252 | #66 |
| 1982 | 4,098 | #73 |
| 1981 | 4,057 | #73 |
| 1980 | 4,080 | #77 |
| 1979 | 3,878 | #78 |
| 1978 | 3,958 | #72 |
| 1977 | 3,840 | #75 |
| 1976 | 3,780 | #72 |
| 1975 | 3,936 | #73 |
| 1974 | 4,184 | #73 |
| 1973 | 4,261 | #67 |
| 1972 | 4,686 | #65 |
| 1971 | 5,337 | #65 |
| 1970 | 6,004 | #59 |
| 1969 | 6,094 | #58 |
| 1968 | 6,129 | #56 |
| 1967 | 6,345 | #55 |
| 1966 | 6,962 | #54 |
| 1965 | 7,243 | #57 |
| 1964 | 8,237 | #54 |
| 1963 | 8,294 | #53 |
| 1962 | 8,697 | #53 |
| 1961 | 9,251 | #48 |
| 1960 | 9,536 | #42 |
| 1959 | 10,025 | #40 |
| 1958 | 10,769 | #38 |
| 1957 | 11,151 | #37 |
| 1956 | 12,056 | #28 |
| 1955 | 11,636 | #28 |
| 1954 | 11,079 | #32 |
| 1953 | 10,849 | #35 |
| 1952 | 11,053 | #34 |
| 1951 | 10,566 | #34 |
| 1950 | 9,655 | #34 |
| 1949 | 9,137 | #37 |
| 1948 | 8,244 | #41 |
| 1947 | 7,889 | #46 |
| 1946 | 6,367 | #48 |
| 1945 | 5,031 | #50 |
| 1944 | 5,256 | #49 |
| 1943 | 5,427 | #48 |
| 1942 | 5,267 | #49 |
| 1941 | 4,884 | #51 |
| 1940 | 4,584 | #53 |
| 1939 | 4,577 | #49 |
| 1938 | 4,525 | #48 |
| 1937 | 4,459 | #47 |
| 1936 | 4,537 | #44 |
| 1935 | 4,698 | #42 |
| 1934 | 4,933 | #42 |
| 1933 | 4,908 | #44 |
| 1932 | 5,449 | #39 |
| 1931 | 5,642 | #36 |
| 1930 | 6,299 | #35 |
| 1929 | 6,277 | #34 |
| 1928 | 6,910 | #33 |
| 1927 | 7,256 | #31 |
| 1926 | 7,469 | #31 |
| 1925 | 7,867 | #29 |
| 1924 | 8,363 | #27 |
| 1923 | 8,437 | #24 |
| 1922 | 8,537 | #24 |
| 1921 | 8,887 | #23 |
| 1920 | 8,878 | #21 |
| 1919 | 8,335 | #23 |
| 1918 | 8,842 | #20 |
| 1917 | 8,689 | #18 |
| 1916 | 8,469 | #20 |
| 1915 | 8,181 | #19 |
| 1914 | 6,613 | #18 |
| 1913 | 5,302 | #22 |
| 1912 | 4,666 | #21 |
| 1911 | 3,565 | #20 |
| 1910 | 3,161 | #22 |
| 1909 | 2,897 | #23 |
| 1908 | 2,750 | #22 |
| 1907 | 2,457 | #25 |
| 1906 | 2,230 | #26 |
| 1905 | 2,198 | #28 |
| 1904 | 1,982 | #31 |
| 1903 | 1,916 | #32 |
| 1902 | 1,896 | #31 |
| 1901 | 1,599 | #38 |
| 1900 | 2,081 | #34 |
| 1899 | 1,628 | #36 |
| 1898 | 1,705 | #41 |
| 1897 | 1,511 | #42 |
| 1896 | 1,594 | #40 |
| 1895 | 1,514 | #38 |
| 1894 | 1,430 | #41 |
| 1893 | 1,336 | #42 |
| 1892 | 1,333 | #42 |
| 1891 | 1,219 | #41 |
| 1890 | 1,232 | #44 |
| 1889 | 1,198 | #42 |
| 1888 | 1,212 | #42 |
| 1887 | 967 | #44 |
| 1886 | 916 | #45 |
| 1885 | 846 | #45 |
| 1884 | 874 | #43 |
| 1883 | 853 | #36 |
| 1882 | 726 | #42 |
| 1881 | 635 | #40 |
| 1880 | 688 | #31 |
Nicknames for Catherine
Names like Catherine
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Charlotte Alice Josephine Elizabeth Beatrice Lydia Georgia Sophie Margaret Eleanor Dorothy Katie
Other spellings of Catherine
Names related to Catherine
Katherine Catriona Catarina Caterina Catrina Cathryn Catharine Cathrine Katherin Catharina
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Zoe Iris
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Catherine: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/catherine, updated 20 October 2026.