Given name
Catharina
“one who is pure; virginal”
Catharina is a variant of Catherine. One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Catharina is a variant of Catherine. One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1948. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Catharina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 332
- 0 boys · 332 girls
- Most popular year
- 1989
- 14 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #8,979 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +100%
- Rising fast
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,979 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 14 in 1989. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 961 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Catharina’s family of names
In Dutch usage, Catharina has a diminutive in NIENKE. In Latin usage, Catharina has a later derivative in Катарина. Catharina has a related form in Catherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Catharina has relatives in 5 languages.
4 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 43
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Catalinaequivalent
- Katherineequivalent
- Kateequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- Karenequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Katiaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
Show 35 moreShow fewer
- Kathyequivalent
- Katyaequivalent
- Caterinaequivalent
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Cathyequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Carinequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Cathrinaequivalent
- Katriequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Catherinaequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Катаринаderivative · rsk
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Екатеринаequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- Kateřinaequivalent
- Catharinequivalent
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Catharina
- Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orangeheir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlandsborn 2003
- Catharina of WürttembergQueen consort of Westphalia1783–1835
- Catharina van HemessenFlemish Renaissance painter1527–1567
- Catherine Vasa of SwedenRegent of East Frisia; Swedish princess, writer1539–1610
- Catherine StenbockQueen Consort of Sweden (1535-1621)
- Catharina LoddersDutch beauty pageant contestantborn 1942
- Tini Wagnerswimmer (1919-2004)
- Countess Catharina Belgica of NassauCountess of Orange-Nassau by birth and by marriage Countess of Hanau-Münzenberg (1578-1648)
- Catharina SvenssonDanish beauty pageant contestant and lawyerborn 1982
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Catharina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Karissa
“filled with grace and kindess; very dear”
>99% girls
Carina
“little darling”
>99% girls
Karina
“one who is dear and pure”
>99% girls
Cassandra
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls
Kassandra
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls
Kassie
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls
Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
>99% girls
Roxanna
“born with the morning's first light”
>99% girls