Katherine

Girl · KATH-rin · Greek

Katherine is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “associated with katharos, pure”. In 2025 it ranked 848th for girls in the UK (45 babies) and 186th for girls in the US (1,670 babies).

What does Katherine mean?

Greek: from Greek Aikaterine, via Latin

“associated with katharos, pure”

Spread by St Catherine of Alexandria; the th spelling reflects a medieval association with Greek katharos, pure.

Say it: KATH-rin

Is Katherine a girl's or a boy's name?

Katherine is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 45 girls in the UK and 1,670 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Katherine in the UK?

Rank in 2025: #848among girls
Babies in 2025: 45about 1 in 6,200 girls
Five-year trend: Fallingdown 37% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 45 girls in the UK were named Katherine, making it the 848th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 516th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,354 girls.

2025 had the fewest girls named Katherine since the records began in 1996.

Half of all the girls named Katherine in the UK since 1996 were born between 1998 and 2008. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 54 girls in the UK were given Katherine or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #688, up from #848 for this spelling alone.

Katherine 45
Kathryn 9

Among girls in 2025, it was 872nd in England and Wales and 539th in Scotland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1964 (#76), 1974 (#43), 1984 (#29) and 1994 (#45).

1996Busiest: 1,354 in 19962025

Katherine in the UK, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	45	#848
2024	77	#554
2023	73	#570
2022	81	#530
2021	99	#478
2020	85	#516
2019	95	#482
2018	129	#385
2017	143	#356
2016	203	#277
2015	214	#258
2014	220	#249
2013	257	#218
2012	268	#209
2011	342	#172
2010	272	#212
2009	353	#175
2008	363	#170
2007	404	#153
2006	465	#132
2005	482	#124
2004	576	#103
2003	650	#88
2002	690	#84
2001	720	#81
2000	818	#68
1999	924	#65
1998	1,108	#57
1997	1,199	#56
1996	1,354	#53

How popular is Katherine in the US?

Rank in 2025: #186among girls
Babies in 2025: 1,670about 1 in 960 girls
Five-year trend: Fallingdown 28% in five years
Same name in a class: 1.4%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 1,670 girls in the US were named Katherine, making it the 186th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 136th. Its busiest year was 1990, with 11,625 girls.

2025 had fewer girls named Katherine than any year since 1909.

Half of all the girls named Katherine in the US since 1880 were born between 1948 and 1993, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 2,100 girls in the US were given Katherine or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #170, up from #186 for this spelling alone.

Katherine 1,670
Kathryn 381
Katherin 34
Kathrine 15

1880Busiest: 11,625 in 19902025

Katherine in the US, year by year

Year	Girls	Rank
2025	1,670	#186
2024	1,746	#175
2023	1,705	#170
2022	1,742	#166
2021	1,821	#157
2020	1,991	#136
2019	2,450	#120
2018	2,677	#112
2017	2,861	#105
2016	3,276	#91
2015	3,454	#84
2014	3,691	#82
2013	3,723	#77
2012	3,953	#64
2011	4,189	#61
2010	3,870	#70
2009	4,432	#60
2008	5,350	#45
2007	5,818	#39
2006	6,295	#37
2005	6,392	#36
2004	6,742	#35
2003	7,126	#35
2002	7,212	#36
2001	7,880	#35
2000	8,109	#33
1999	7,935	#36
1998	8,207	#33
1997	8,518	#32
1996	8,877	#31
1995	8,987	#30
1994	9,586	#30
1993	10,506	#29
1992	11,149	#27
1991	11,495	#25
1990	11,625	#26
1989	11,415	#26
1988	11,154	#27
1987	10,438	#28
1986	10,570	#28
1985	10,128	#32
1984	10,157	#30
1983	9,684	#34
1982	9,179	#36
1981	8,433	#39
1980	8,017	#35
1979	7,464	#36
1978	6,625	#38
1977	6,030	#44
1976	5,051	#57
1975	4,851	#58
1974	4,530	#62
1973	4,420	#64
1972	4,514	#69
1971	5,120	#67
1970	5,443	#67
1969	5,167	#70
1968	4,716	#75
1967	4,560	#76
1966	4,492	#78
1965	4,706	#79
1964	5,074	#82
1963	5,124	#87
1962	5,272	#83
1961	5,632	#86
1960	5,876	#81
1959	6,139	#79
1958	6,433	#74
1957	6,637	#72
1956	7,082	#67
1955	7,239	#65
1954	6,740	#64
1953	6,559	#63
1952	6,891	#59
1951	6,930	#55
1950	6,205	#58
1949	6,039	#59
1948	5,169	#68
1947	4,884	#76
1946	4,197	#78
1945	3,393	#82
1944	3,525	#77
1943	3,616	#78
1942	3,376	#81
1941	3,004	#85
1940	2,709	#91
1939	2,476	#101
1938	2,575	#105
1937	2,484	#103
1936	2,355	#100
1935	2,340	#103
1934	2,388	#101
1933	2,330	#100
1932	2,588	#95
1931	2,624	#91
1930	3,033	#85
1929	3,016	#84
1928	3,398	#75
1927	3,724	#73
1926	3,834	#72
1925	4,240	#61
1924	4,695	#59
1923	4,579	#60
1922	4,827	#54
1921	5,156	#49
1920	5,276	#45
1919	4,846	#51
1918	5,191	#50
1917	4,956	#49
1916	4,801	#51
1915	4,488	#49
1914	3,652	#48
1913	2,794	#54
1912	2,546	#53
1911	1,858	#55
1910	1,752	#57
1909	1,557	#53
1908	1,430	#55
1907	1,413	#55
1906	1,277	#56
1905	1,190	#63
1904	1,128	#63
1903	1,015	#66
1902	1,004	#68
1901	890	#71
1900	1,201	#65
1899	942	#65
1898	914	#69
1897	962	#65
1896	1,047	#61
1895	968	#65
1894	948	#64
1893	963	#62
1892	961	#60
1891	803	#62
1890	900	#59
1889	889	#56
1888	893	#56
1887	794	#53
1886	744	#54
1885	751	#50
1884	671	#55
1883	583	#56
1882	591	#52
1881	504	#52
1880	502	#53

Nicknames for Katherine

Kate 46 girls in the UK in 2025
Katie 132 girls in the UK in 2025
Kathy 3 girls in the UK in 2025

Names like Katherine

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Katie Sophie Charlotte Zoe Kate Sarah Alice Chloe Catherine Anna Georgia Emma

Other spellings of Katherine

Kathryn Katherin Kathrine

Names related to Katherine

Katerina Katrina Katarina Kateryna Katharine Katherina Katheryn

More Greek names

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