Given name & surname
Catherine
“one who is pure; virginal”
Catherine is used as a given name, a surname, and a nickname. One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “one who is pure; virginal.” Its derivation is not certain.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
In English use, Catherine is used as a spelling variant of Katherine.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Catherine is a variant 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
Catherine through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 669,611
- 1,822 boys · 667,789 girls
- Most popular year
- 1956
- 12,075 babies
- 2025
- 972
- #314 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −33%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 972 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 314 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 32.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 12,056 in 1956. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (120). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 410,557 as a first name in 2020; 457 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.
Catherine’s family of names
In English usage, Catherine has a diminutive in Katie. Catherine shares a linguistic root with Katherine. In English usage, Catherine has a related form in Kathryn.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Catherine has relatives in 62 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Catherine comes from · 26 names
Nicknames & forms 83
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kaishort form · Estonian
- Catalinavariant · Spanish, Latin
- Kaiavariant · Estonian
- Katherinevariant · English, Middle French
- Katediminutive · English, Tagalog
- Katiepet form · English, French
- Kathrynvariant · English
- Cassiediminutive · English
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Catarinavariant · Portuguese, Occitan
- Katiadiminutive · French
- Katrinavariant · English
- Caitlinvariant
- Caitlynvariant
- Katydiminutive · French
- Katherynvariant · English
- Caterinavariant · Italian, Catalan
- Katharinevariant · English
- Catalynavariant
- Cassdiminutive · English
- Kaisavariant · Estonian
- Kathrinevariant · Danish
- Cathydiminutive · English, French
- Catrinavariant · English
- Catediminutive · English
- Catharinavariant
- Caitlynnvariant
- Cathleenvariant
- Catydiminutive · English
- Cathrynvariant · English
- Karinvariant · Estonian
- Catiediminutive · English
- Caitrionavariant
- Kathrynnevariant · English
- Katrynavariant · English
- Kadivariant · Estonian
- Catherynvariant · English
- Cathiediminutive · English
- Cathidiminutive · English
- Riinashort form · Finnish
- Katrinvariant · Estonian
- Trineshort form · Danish
- Cathclipped form · English
- Catharinevariant · English
- Kativariant · Estonian
- Catrionavariant
- Catrinvariant · Welsh
- Catelynvariant
- Catalinvariant
- Caitrynvariant
- Caitrinvariant
- Caitlinnvariant
- Caitlandvariant
- Caitlanvariant
- Caitilinvariant
- Caitievariant
- Caitvariant
- Catlynvariant
- Catlinvariant
- Catiavariant
- Cathlinvariant
And 23 more.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 90
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Katalinapln, Basque
- Karenequivalent
- KaterinaMaltese
- KariNorwegian
- KatarinaSwedish, Slovene
- Kathyequivalent
- Catoderivative · English
- Katyaequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Katerimoh
- EkaterinaSerbo-Croatian
- KatharinaGerman, Danish
- Carinequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Ekaterinidoublet · English
- Ecaterinarelated form · Romanian
- Katriequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- KatarzynaPolish
- KatrienDutch
- KotrynaLithuanian
- CatherinaLatin
- KatalinHungarian
- KadriEstonian
- KatelinBreton
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katsiarynaequivalent
- Katroinequivalent
- Кацярынаequivalent
- Catreeneyequivalent
- Cat'linneequivalent
- Cath'rinneequivalent
- Katarinequivalent
- Cathrèneequivalent
- 凱瑟琳Chinese
- ЕкатеринаRussian, Serbo-Croatian
- Катеринаcognate · Russian, Ukrainian
- ΑικατερίνηGreek
- Catrenecognate · Walloon
- Katarīnacognate · Latvian
- Katrīnacognate · Latvian
- Kakalinaborrowing · Hawaiian
- Nienkecognate · Dutch
- Caitríonaborrowing · Irish
- KateřinaCzech
- Hekaterinerelated form
- Katrijnequivalent
- KatarínaSlovak
- КатаринаSerbian, Serbo-Croatian
- CatharijneDutch
- キャサリンJapanese
- KatrínIcelandic
- קתריןHebrew
- ეკატერინეGeorgian
And 30 more.
People named Catherine
- Catherine the Greateighth Emperor of Russia, called the Great, r. 1762–1796 (lived 1729-1796)
- Cate BlanchettAustralian actor and producer (born 1969)
- Catherine, Princess of Walesmember of the British Royal Family and princess of Wales since 2022born 1982
- Catherine Zeta-JonesBritish actress (born 1969)
- Catherine DeneuveFrench actress (born 1943)
- Catherine de' Mediciqueen-consort and regent of France (1519–1589)
- Catherine of Aragonfirst wife of Henry VIII of England (1485–1536)
- Catherine of SienaItalian Dominican saint (1347-1380)
- Kate BushEnglish singer, pianist and songwriter (born 1958)
Characters named Catherine: Catherine Willows (fictional character), Catherine Earnshaw (the novel Wuthering Heights), Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct character), Cat Grant (fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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