Given name & surname
Katie
“one who is pure; virginal”
Katie is an affectionate English form of Kate.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Katie is an affectionate form of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Katie belongs to the English Kate name family.
How it developed
It combines Kate with the affectionate ending -ie.
The story
Katie developed through everyday affectionate naming. A precise date for its earliest use is not established.
Katie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 241,784
- 499 boys · 241,285 girls
- Most popular year
- 1986
- 8,371 babies
- 2025
- 447
- #646 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 447 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 646 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 28.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 8,333 in 1986. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (48). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 215,039 as a first name in 2020; 102 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Katie’s family of names
Katie is an affectionate form of Katherine. In English usage, Katie shares a linguistic root with the Finnish form Kati. In English usage, Katie has a conventional equivalent in the French form Catherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Katie has relatives in 4 languages.
9 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Katherinefull form · English
- Catherinefull form · English, French
- Katefull form
- Katydiminutive · English
- Catyvariant · English
- Kattielikely variant
- Catievariant · English
- Kateydiminutive · English
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 51
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Catalinaequivalent
- Karenequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Katarinaequivalent
- Catarinaequivalent
- Katiaequivalent
- Katrinaequivalent
- Kathyequivalent
Show 43 moreShow fewer
- Katyaequivalent
- Caterinaequivalent
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Katharinaequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathyequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Carinequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Katjaequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Kateeequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Katicognate · Finnish
- Katriequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Katequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Kateřinaequivalent
- Катяequivalent
- Kirryequivalent
- Kirreeequivalent
- Ceitidhborrowing · Scottish Gaelic
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Екатеринаequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- Ceiteagcognate
People named Katie
- Katie HolmesAmerican actress (born 1978)
- Katie LedeckyAmerican Olympic swimmerborn 1997
- Katie MeluaEnglish-Georgian singer and songwriterborn 1984
- Katie CassidyAmerican actress and singer (born 1986)
- Katie BoumanAmerican engineer and computer scientistborn 1989
- Katie McGrathIrish actressborn 1983
- Katie LeungScottish actressborn 1987
- KT TunstallScottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1975)
- Katie DouglasCanadian actressborn 1998
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Katie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Cassie
“one who is pure; virginal” · “vigilant, wakeful”
>99% girls
Kassie
“an unheeded prophetess”
>99% girls
Carrie
“a joyous song; a small, strong woman” · “from the river”
>99% girls
Cara
“beloved” · “one who is dearly loved”
>99% girls
Kacie
“vigilant, wakeful” · “a vigilant woman”
2% boys · 98% girls
Kaci
“a vigilant man; one who is alert” · “a vigilant woman”
7% boys · 93% girls
Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
>99% girls
Kelsie
“from the island of ships; of the ship's victory”
>99% girls