Given name
Katharina
“one who is pure; virginal”
In Danish use, Katharina has a related form in Karen. In Greek use, Karen carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Danish use, Katharina has a related form in Karen. In Greek use, Karen carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Katharina is a form of Katarina. Katarina comes from Ancient Greek.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Katharina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,121
- 0 boys · 2,121 girls
- Most popular year
- 1991
- 58 babies
- 2025
- 18
- #6,440 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 18 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 6,440 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 10.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,803 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.
Katharina’s family of names
In Danish usage, Katharina has a diminutive in Karen. In German usage, Katharina has a conventional equivalent in the English form Katherine. In Danish usage, Katharina has a related form in Karen.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Katharina has relatives in 29 languages.
70 related names in 29 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 19
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kaidiminutive · German
- Karenvariant · Danish
- Carinashort form · German
- Katarinavariant · Serbo-Croatian, Swedish
- Catarinavariant · German, Italian
- Katrinavariant · German, Swedish
- Tinashort form · German
- Katherinavariant · German, English
Show 11 moreShow fewer
Across languages 72
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- CatalinaSpanish
- KatherineEnglish
- CatherineFrench, English
- Kateequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- KaterinaDanish
- Katiaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Kathyequivalent
- KatherynEnglish
- Katyaequivalent
- CaterinaItalian, Catalan
- KatharineEnglish
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- KathrineDanish
- Cathyequivalent
- CatrinaIrish
- KatheryneEnglish
- CathrynEnglish
- Carinequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- KatarzynaPolish
- Katriequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- CatrinWelsh
- KatalinHungarian
- CatherinaSpanish
- EcaterinaRomanian
- KatrineDutch
- KatrienDutch
- KotrynaLithuanian
- CatrionaIrish
- KaarinaFinnish
- KadriEstonian
- KatrionaEnglish
- KatharynEnglish
- CatherinEnglish
- CatharineEnglish
- 凱瑟琳Chinese
- КатаринаRussian
- ΑικατερίνηGreek
- KateřinaCzech
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- KatarínaSlovak
- CatrineSwedish
- CaitrìonaScottish Gaelic
- ЕкатеринаRussian
- CătălinaRomanian
- KatrijnDutch
- KatelijneDutch
- KatelijnDutch
- КатеринаMacedonian
And 12 more.
People named Katharina
- Katharina von Borawife of Martin Luther (1499-1552)
- Catalina Micaela of SpainAustrian archduchess (1567-1597)
- Catharina of WürttembergQueen consort of Westphalia1783–1835
- Katharina LiensbergerAustrian female alpine skierborn 1997
- Katharina SchmidGerman female ski jumper (born 1996)
- Catherine of BohemiaCzech princess (1342 –1395)
- Katharina MolitorGerman javelin throwerborn 1983
- Katharina FritschGerman sculptor (born 1956)
- Princess Catherine of WürttembergWürttemberger Royal (1821–1898)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Katharina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who is dear and pure”
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“one who is pure; virginal”
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7% boys · 93% girls