Given name & surname
Katya
“one who is pure; virginal”
Katya is a variant of Katherine. In Greek use, Katherine carries the interpretation “one who is pure; virginal.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Katya 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 Russian use, Katya is used as an affectionate form of Yekatarina.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1962. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Katya 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
Katya through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,176
- 0 boys · 3,176 girls
- Most popular year
- 2001
- 146 babies
- 2025
- 42
- #3,614 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −7%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 3,614 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 7.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 146 in 2001. In 2025, California and Texas and Washington shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 4,550 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.
Katya’s family of names
Katya is an affectionate form of Katherine. In English usage, Katya shares a linguistic root with the Finnish form Katja. In French usage, Katya has a related form in Katia.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Katya has relatives in 13 languages.
9 related names in 13 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
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.
- Catalinaequivalent
- Catherineequivalent
- Kateequivalent
- Katieequivalent
- Karenequivalent
- Katerinaequivalent
- Katarinaequivalent
- Catarinaequivalent
Show 42 moreShow fewer
- Katrinaequivalent
- Katyequivalent
- Caterinaequivalent
- Ekaterinaequivalent
- Katharinaequivalent
- Kathrineequivalent
- Kaisaequivalent
- Catharinaequivalent
- Cathrynequivalent
- Karinequivalent
- Carinequivalent
- Katjacognate · Finnish, Swedish
- Kajsaequivalent
- Kaarinaequivalent
- Kathieequivalent
- Katalinequivalent
- Kareenequivalent
- Katrineequivalent
- Cathrineequivalent
- Katijaequivalent
- Katarzynaequivalent
- Catrinequivalent
- Cathieequivalent
- Catharineequivalent
- Catyaequivalent
- Katriequivalent
- Katrinequivalent
- Ekaterineequivalent
- Katriinaequivalent
- Chatrineequivalent
- Katriinequivalent
- Jekaterinaequivalent
- Katariinaequivalent
- Kateřinaequivalent
- КатяRussian, Ukrainian
- CátiaPortuguese
- Katrijnequivalent
- Katarínaequivalent
- Ка́тяRussian
- کاتیاPersian
- קטיהHebrew
- КацяBelarusian
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Katya
- Katya PaskalevaBulgarian actress1945–2002
- Katya SambucaRussian actor, singer and model (born 1991)
- Katya LelRussian singerborn 1974
- Katya ChillyUkrainian singerborn 1978
- Katya GalstyanArmenian cross-country skierborn 1993
- Katya WyethAmerican actressborn 1948
- Katya KischukRussian singer and modelborn 1993
- Katya VirshilasCanadian actressborn 1983
- Katya AdushkinaRussian videoblogerborn 2003
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Katya, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kaitlyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Katelyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Kinzie
“the king's victory” · “the victorious prince”
>99% girls
Olesya
Olesya is a feminine given name from Russian and Ukrainian.
>99% girls
Princessa
“a highborn daughter; born to royalty”
>99% girls
Tehani
“the”
>99% girls
Nastia
Nastia is a feminine given name from Russian and Ukrainian.
>99% girls
Makenzy
Makenzy is a masculine given name from Haitian Creole. It is used in French.
>99% girls