Given name
Katja
“one who is pure; virginal”
Katja is a variant of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Original RussianКатя
Meaning & origin
What it means
Katja is a variant of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Slovenian usage, Katja is a diminutive of Katarina.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1963. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Katja 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
Katja through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 949
- 0 boys · 949 girls
- Most popular year
- 1998
- 48 babies
- 2025
- 5
- #16,086 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −35%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 5 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 16,086 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 34.8% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 48 in 1998. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,805 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.
Katja’s family of names
In Slovenian usage, Katja is a diminutive of Katarina. In Finnish usage, Katja shares a linguistic root with the English form Katya. Katja has a related form in Katherine.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Katja has relatives in 8 languages. Lines run from its Russian roots to each of them.
Russianwhere Katja comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 5
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 50
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Катяsource · Russian
- Catalinaequivalent
- Catherineequivalent
- Kateequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- Karenequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Catarinaequivalent
Show 42 moreShow fewer
- Katrinaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
- Kathyequivalent
- Katyacognate · English
- Caterinaequivalent
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Katharinaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- Cathyequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Carinequivalent
- Kajsaequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Katijaequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Cathiaequivalent
- Katriequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- Kateřinaequivalent
- CátiaPortuguese
- Catjaequivalent
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Екатеринаequivalent
- KáťaCzech
People named Katja
- Katja RiemannGerman actressborn 1963
- Katja KippingGerman politicianborn 1978
- Katja SeizingerGerman former alpine ski racerborn 1972
- Katja NybergFinnish-Norwegian handball playerborn 1979
- Katja PetrowskajaGerman writer and journalistborn 1970
- Katja WoywoodGerman actressborn 1971
- Katja HerbersDutch actressborn 1980
- Katja Korenalpine skierborn 1975
- Katja von GarnierGerman film directorborn 1966
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Katja, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Raija
Raija is a feminine given name from Russian. It is used in Finnish.
>99% girls
Natasja
“birthday”
>99% girls
Nastasja
Nastasja is a feminine given name from Russian. It is used in Ingrian.
>99% girls
Kaitlyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Katelyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Tarja
Tarja is a feminine given name from Russian, ultimately from Ancient Greek. It is used in Finnish.
>99% girls
Princessa
“a highborn daughter; born to royalty”
>99% girls
Taniya
Taniya is a feminine given name from Russian.
>99% girls