Given name & surname
Kate
“one who is pure; virginal”
Kate has been a familiar form of Katherine since medieval times.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Kate is a diminutive of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Kate is used as a shortened form of Katherine.
The story
The t in Kate reflects the French-influenced pronunciation of Katherine that was also used in medieval England. Shakespeare uses Kate for the French princess in Henry V and for Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew.
Kate through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 86,076
- 89 boys · 85,987 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 2,550 babies
- 2025
- 576
- #522 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −41%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 576 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 522 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 40.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,550 in 2007. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (77). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 86,820 as a first name in 2020; 384 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.
Kate’s family of names
In Filipino usage, Kate is a diminutive of Katherine. Kate shares a linguistic root with Ceit. In English usage, Kate has a conventional equivalent in the French form Catherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kate has relatives in 15 languages.
18 related names in 15 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 38
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Catalinaequivalent
- Keithborrowing · Spanish
- Catarinaequivalent
- Katiaequivalent
- Katrinaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
- Kathyequivalent
- Katyaequivalent
Show 30 moreShow fewer
- CaterinaItalian
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Katharinaequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathyequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Keitaborrowing · Latvian
- Catharineequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Kateyequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Kirryequivalent
- Kirreeequivalent
- ЕкатеринаRussian
- ქეთიequivalent · Georgian
- ΚαίτηGreek
- Ceitderivative · Scottish Gaelic
- KäteGerman
- KateřinaCzech
- Katrijnequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Cáitcognate
People named Kate
- Kate WinsletEnglish actress (born 1975)
- Kate HudsonAmerican actress and singer (born 1979)
- Katie HolmesAmerican actress (born 1978)
- Kate BushEnglish singer, pianist and songwriter (born 1958)
- Kate MossEnglish model and businesswomanborn 1974
- Kate UptonAmerican model and actress (born 1992)
- Kate MaraAmerican actress (born 1983)
- Kate ChopinAmerican author (1850–1904)
- Kate WalshAmerican actressborn 1967
Characters named Kate: Kate Austen (the American mystery fiction television series Lost), Hawkeye (Marvel Comics, introduced in 2005), Kate Kane (DC Comics character), Caitlin Todd (the television series NCIS).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kate, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Cordelia
“a good-hearted woman; a woman of honesty”
>99% girls
Allie
“the son of a noble” · “helper and defender of mankind”
>99% girls
Raegan
“born into royalty; the little ruler”
1% boys · 99% girls
Elayna
“the shining light”
>99% girls
Regan
“born into royalty; the little ruler”
20% boys · 80% girls
Alexandra
“helper and defender of mankind”
>99% girls
Isabelle
“my God is bountiful” · “God is my oath”
>99% girls
Cordee
“a good-hearted woman; a woman of honesty”
—