Given name & surname
Catalina
“one who is pure; virginal”
Catalina is a variant of Catherine. One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Original Spanishกาตาลีนา
Meaning & origin
What it means
Catalina is a variant of Catherine. One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Spanish use, Catalina is used as a form of Katherine.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1893. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Catalina is a form of Katherine. The history of Katherine gives this family its wider story. Katherine’s historical associations include Catherine de’ Medici, wife of King Henry II and regent.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Catalina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 33,016
- 7 boys · 33,009 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 2,456 babies
- 2025
- 2,456
- #111 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +52%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 2,456 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 111 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 51.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (621). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 35,717 as a first name in 2020; 651 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Catalina’s family of names
In Cebuano usage, Catalina has a diminutive in TALINA. Catalina shares a linguistic root with Katherine. Catalina has a related form in Catherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Catalina has relatives in 12 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 52
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Katherinecognate
- Katalinaequivalent
- Kateequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- KarinaCzech
- Karenequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Katarinaequivalent
Show 44 moreShow fewer
- KariNorwegian
- CatarinaGalician
- Katiaequivalent
- Katrinaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
- Kathyequivalent
- Katyaequivalent
- CaterinaItalian
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- KatharinaGerman
- Kaisaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Cathyequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Carinequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katriequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Екатеринаequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- 凱瑟琳Chinese
- ΑικατερίνηGreek
- KateřinaCzech
- Αἰκατερίνηroot · Ancient Greek
People named Catalina
- Catherine of Aragonfirst wife of Henry VIII of England (1485–1536)
- Catalina Sandino MorenoColombian actressborn 1981
- Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugalqueen consort and regent of Portugal1507–1578
- Antonio de ErausoBasque explorer, adventurer, soldier, explorer, memorialist, authorized by Pope Urban VIII to dress like a man1592–1650
- Cata CollSpanish association football playerborn 2001
- Catalina DuqueColombian beauty pageant titleholderborn 1999
- Catalina CastañoColombian tennis playerborn 1979
- Catalina UsmeColombian footballerborn 1989
- Catalina PérezColombian association football playerborn 1994
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Catalina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elena
“the shining light”
>99% girls
Caitríona
“one who is pure; virginal”
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Caitrín
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Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
>99% girls
Sun King
Sun King is a given name from French.
—
Olena
“the shining light”
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Malka
“a queenly woman”
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Eleni
“the shining light” · “shining light”
>99% girls