Nameling

Katy

Gender
Girl
Say it
KAY-tee
Origin
Greek
UK rank, 2025
#3,101 for girls
US rank, 2025
#2,691 for girls

Katy is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “associated with katharos, pure”. In 2025 it ranked 3,101st for girls in the UK (8 babies) and 2,691st for girls in the US (64 babies).

What does Katy mean?

Greek: pet form of Katherine

“associated with katharos, pure”

Pet form of Katherine; What Katy Did (1872) by Susan Coolidge is a classic children's novel.

More on Wiktionary.

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

Katy is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 8 girls in the UK and 64 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Katy in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#3,101among girls
Babies in 2025
8about 1 in 35,000 girls
Five-year trend
Falling fastdown 80% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 8 girls in the UK were named Katy, making it the 3,101st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,708th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 450 girls.

Half of all the girls named Katy in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2008. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 143 girls in the UK were given Katy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #350, up from #3,101 for this spelling alone.

Among girls in 2025, it was 4,200th in England and Wales and 780th in Scotland.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#65).

1996Busiest: 450 in 19962025
Katy in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
20258#3,101
20245#4,253
20239#2,841
202219#1,667
202114#2,069
202018#1,708
201943#909
201849#832
201768#666
201662#727
201583#566
2014126#391
2013117#406
2012131#399
2011182#302
2010186#287
2009212#254
2008266#218
2007280#217
2006292#200
2005333#177
2004393#154
2003354#157
2002320#156
2001337#154
2000386#137
1999390#139
1998431#124
1997415#136
1996450#111

How popular is Katy in the US?

Rank in 2025
#2,691among girls
Babies in 2025
64about 1 in 25,000 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 21% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 64 girls in the US were named Katy, making it the 2,691st most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,196th. Its busiest year was 1987, with 674 girls.

2025 had fewer girls named Katy than any year since 1953.

Half of all the girls named Katy in the US since 1880 were born between 1972 and 1995, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 537 girls in the US were given Katy or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #556, up from #2,691 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 674 in 19872025
Katy in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202564#2,691
202473#2,462
202389#2,142
202285#2,208
202187#2,154
202082#2,196
201991#2,070
2018113#1,799
2017116#1,792
2016133#1,636
2015143#1,545
2014184#1,291
2013160#1,420
2012165#1,396
2011201#1,196
2010185#1,287
2009194#1,258
2008214#1,188
2007217#1,172
2006210#1,157
2005226#1,054
2004240#987
2003233#989
2002240#933
2001218#983
2000220#961
1999243#879
1998257#827
1997279#757
1996274#768
1995328#654
1994349#630
1993398#590
1992458#517
1991430#549
1990470#510
1989584#426
1988588#406
1987674#351
1986655#362
1985654#361
1984566#388
1983561#392
1982564#406
1981577#392
1980503#429
1979461#444
1978440#453
1977323#549
1976219#679
1975207#712
1974194#732
1973164#798
1972147#870
1971153#877
1970165#831
1969132#923
1968109#1,002
196790#1,097
1966110#972
1965140#840
1964160#829
1963157#833
1962190#753
1961172#796
1960185#751
1959180#757
1958146#843
1957117#950
195682#1,140
195566#1,245
195476#1,133
195363#1,212
195260#1,224
195169#1,115
195076#1,052
194960#1,173
194876#1,000
194776#1,011
194675#960
194555#1,048
194468#937
194369#944
194266#960
194180#809
194081#786
193977#775
193857#944
193759#896
193666#827
193557#912
193448#993
193346#1,024
193242#1,097
193149#995
193042#1,144
192957#951
192852#1,041
192747#1,108
192643#1,166
192565#923
192460#985
192365#907
192251#1,059
192141#1,205
192057#968
191966#858
191845#1,091
191745#1,054
191644#1,043
191541#1,040
191440#932
191328#1,020
191213#1,540
191118#1,031
191016#1,110
190923#845
190820#882
190724#760
190617#895
190515#968
190415#938
190313#969
190224#688
190116#829
190017#917
189917#791
18987#1,379
189715#826
189610#1,047
189517#770
189412#905
189314#794
18928#1,085
189110#893
189013#758
18896#1,146
18888#959
188710#733
18866#993
18857#842
18845#1,024
18830–
18825#908
18810–
18807#679

Nicknames for Katy

Names like Katy

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

Molly Emily Holly Amy Zoe Chloe Hannah Sarah Sophie Lily Lucy Erin

Other spellings of Katy

Katie Caiti Kattie Catie Katty

Names related to Katy

Kate Katya Kathy Kati Katey Kayti Kayte Kathya Katiya

More Greek names

Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Iris Maisie Lainey

Every Greek name

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, “Katy: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/katy, updated 20 October 2026.