Girl
Katherine
pure
About Katherine
Katherine stands as one of the most enduringly elegant names in the English language, having maintained its appeal across centuries and continents. The name possesses a classical sophistication that never feels dated or stuffy. Katherine offers remarkable versatility through its numerous nickname options—Kate, Katie, Kathy, Kat, Kit, and Kitty among them—allowing the bearer to adapt her name to different contexts and personal preferences throughout life. This flexibility means a Katherine can be both the Katie playing in the sandbox and the Katherine presenting in the boardroom. The name has been borne by royalty, saints, literary heroines, and accomplished women across every field, providing rich associations without being tied to any single figure. Katherine works beautifully in multicultural contexts with recognizable variations in numerous languages. Its strong consonants balanced by soft vowels create a name that sounds both authoritative and approachable.
Popularity of the Name Katherine
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #53 | ||||
| 1881 | #52 | ||||
| 1882 | #52 | ||||
| 1883 | #56 | ||||
| 1884 | #55 | ||||
| 1885 | #50 | ||||
| 1886 | #54 | ||||
| 1887 | #53 | ||||
| 1888 | #56 | ||||
| 1889 | #56 | ||||
| 1890 | #59 | ||||
| 1891 | #62 | ||||
| 1892 | #60 | ||||
| 1893 | #62 | ||||
| 1894 | #64 | ||||
| 1895 | #65 | ||||
| 1896 | #61 | ||||
| 1897 | #65 | ||||
| 1898 | #69 | ||||
| 1899 | #65 | ||||
| 1900 | #65 | #130 | |||
| 1901 | #71 | #115 | |||
| 1902 | #68 | #112 | |||
| 1903 | #66 | #103 | |||
| 1904 | #63 | #142 | |||
| 1905 | #64 | #99 | |||
| 1906 | #56 | #123 | |||
| 1907 | #55 | #129 | |||
| 1908 | #55 | #124 | |||
| 1909 | #53 | #108 | |||
| 1910 | #57 | #107 | |||
| 1911 | #55 | #110 | |||
| 1912 | #53 | #120 | |||
| 1913 | #54 | #127 | |||
| 1914 | #48 | #141 | |||
| 1915 | #49 | #120 | |||
| 1916 | #51 | #139 | |||
| 1917 | #49 | #187 | |||
| 1918 | #50 | ||||
| 1919 | #51 | #128 | |||
| 1920 | #45 | #126 | |||
| 1921 | #49 | #199 | |||
| 1922 | #54 | ||||
| 1923 | #60 | #151 | |||
| 1924 | #59 | #120 | |||
| 1925 | #61 | #153 | |||
| 1926 | #72 | ||||
| 1927 | #73 | #184 | |||
| 1928 | #75 | #199 | |||
| 1929 | #84 | #176 | |||
| 1930 | #85 | #172 | |||
| 1931 | #92 | #145 | |||
| 1932 | #95 | ||||
| 1933 | #100 | #191 | |||
| 1934 | #101 | #140 | |||
| 1935 | #103 | #161 | |||
| 1936 | #100 | ||||
| 1937 | #103 | ||||
| 1938 | #105 | #211 | |||
| 1939 | #101 | ||||
| 1940 | #92 | #213 | |||
| 1941 | #85 | #189 | |||
| 1942 | #81 | #158 | |||
| 1943 | #78 | #124 | |||
| 1944 | #77 | #194 | |||
| 1945 | #82 | #116 | |||
| 1946 | #78 | #153 | |||
| 1947 | #76 | #158 | |||
| 1948 | #68 | #138 | |||
| 1949 | #59 | #121 | |||
| 1950 | #58 | #135 | |||
| 1951 | #55 | #112 | |||
| 1952 | #59 | #128 | |||
| 1953 | #63 | #130 | |||
| 1954 | #64 | #108 | |||
| 1955 | #65 | #100 | |||
| 1956 | #67 | #97 | |||
| 1957 | #72 | #119 | |||
| 1958 | #74 | #100 | |||
| 1959 | #79 | #113 | |||
| 1960 | #81 | #101 | |||
| 1961 | #86 | #97 | |||
| 1962 | #84 | #76 | |||
| 1963 | #87 | #92 | |||
| 1964 | #82 | #71 | #77 | ||
| 1965 | #79 | #91 | #71 | ||
| 1966 | #78 | #72 | #78 | ||
| 1967 | #76 | #60 | #83 | ||
| 1968 | #75 | #68 | #104 | ||
| 1969 | #70 | #68 | #105 | ||
| 1970 | #67 | #55 | #116 | ||
| 1971 | #67 | #78 | #99 | ||
| 1972 | #69 | #57 | #132 | ||
| 1973 | #64 | #52 | #125 | ||
| 1974 | #62 | #50 | #121 | ||
| 1975 | #58 | #53 | #155 | ||
| 1976 | #57 | #54 | #133 | ||
| 1977 | #44 | #40 | #119 | ||
| 1978 | #38 | #37 | #121 | ||
| 1979 | #36 | #41 | #115 | ||
| 1980 | #35 | #44 | #113 | ||
| 1981 | #39 | #36 | #113 | ||
| 1982 | #36 | #34 | #96 | ||
| 1983 | #34 | #52 | #102 | ||
| 1984 | #30 | #32 | #125 | ||
| 1985 | #32 | #37 | #88 | ||
| 1986 | #28 | #42 | #119 | ||
| 1987 | #28 | #56 | #111 | ||
| 1988 | #27 | #47 | #108 | ||
| 1989 | #26 | #40 | #104 | ||
| 1990 | #26 | #44 | #127 | ||
| 1991 | #25 | #64 | #120 | #38 | |
| 1992 | #27 | #64 | #106 | #26 | |
| 1993 | #29 | #64 | #133 | #32 | |
| 1994 | #30 | #69 | #122 | #36 | |
| 1995 | #30 | #79 | #122 | #39 | |
| 1996 | #31 | #70 | #121 | #43 | |
| 1997 | #32 | #56 | #60 | #148 | #44 |
| 1998 | #33 | #57 | #85 | #158 | #52 |
| 1999 | #36 | #65 | #138 | #236 | #57 |
| 2000 | #33 | #68 | #106 | #115 | #45 |
| 2001 | #35 | #81 | #75 | #144 | #55 |
| 2002 | #36 | #84 | #132 | #156 | #65 |
| 2003 | #35 | #88 | #184 | #153 | #81 |
| 2004 | #35 | #103 | #207 | #143 | #72 |
| 2005 | #36 | #124 | #143 | #157 | #74 |
| 2006 | #37 | #133 | #120 | #200 | #82 |
| 2007 | #39 | #153 | #126 | #229 | #90 |
| 2008 | #45 | #170 | #267 | #239 | #88 |
| 2009 | #60 | #175 | #225 | #268 | #101 |
| 2010 | #70 | #212 | #175 | #326 | #129 |
| 2011 | #61 | #172 | #157 | #292 | #97 |
| 2012 | #64 | #208 | #161 | #347 | #81 |
| 2013 | #77 | #218 | #193 | #298 | #93 |
| 2014 | #82 | #246 | #255 | #361 | #132 |
| 2015 | #84 | #255 | #292 | #335 | #135 |
| 2016 | #91 | #274 | #403 | #326 | #175 |
| 2017 | #105 | #353 | #256 | #294 | #168 |
| 2018 | #112 | #379 | #272 | #420 | #199 |
| 2019 | #120 | #469 | #260 | #652 | #249 |
| 2020 | #136 | #504 | #570 | #291 | |
| 2021 | #157 | #470 | #318 | #536 | #356 |
| 2022 | #166 | #517 | #800 | #419 | |
| 2023 | #170 | #559 | #940 | #409 | |
| 2024 | #175 | #546 | #582 | #389 | |
| 2025 | #186 | #839 | #637 | #419 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Katherine
Names Similar to Katherine
Nicknames for Katherine
- Kate
- Katie
- Kathy
- Kitty
Famous People Named Katherine
| Katherine Hepburn | American actress and cultural icon |
| Catherine the Great | Empress of Russia |
| Katharine Graham | American publisher and owner of The Washington Post |
| Katharine Hepburn | American actress and winner of four Academy Awards |
| Katherine Johnson | African-American mathematician and space scientist |
| Katharine McPhee | American singer and actress |
| Catherine Zeta-Jones | Welsh actress |
| Katharine Ross | American actress |
| Katherine Mansfield | New Zealand short story writer |
| Katharine Lee Bates | American poet and songwriter |
| Catherine de' Medici | Italian noblewoman and Queen of France |
| Katharine, Duchess of Cambridge | Member of the British royal family |
| Katherine Switzer | American athlete and women's rights activist |
| Katharine Isabelle | Canadian actress |
| Catherine Deneuve | French actress |
| Katharine Cornell | American actress and producer |
| Katherine Dunham | American dancer and choreographer |
| Catherine Bell | American actress |
| Katharine Hamnett | British fashion designer and activist |
| Katherine Boo | American journalist and author |
Characters Named Katherine
| Katherine Pierce | The Vampire Diaries |
| Catherine Earnshaw | Wuthering Heights |
| Catherine Tramell | Basic Instinct |
| Katherine "Kate" Beckett | Castle |
| Catherine Morland | Northanger Abbey |
| Catherine "Cathy" Ames | East of Eden |
| Katherine "Kate" Austen | Lost |
| Catherine Chandler | Beauty and the Beast |
| Katherine "Kitty" Bennet | Pride and Prejudice |
| Katherine Johnson | Hidden Figures |
| Catherine Barkley | A Farewell to Arms |
| Katherine "Kate" Kane | Batwoman |
| Catherine Willows | CSI - Crime Scene Investigation |
| Katherine "Kat" Stratford | 10 Things I Hate About You |
| Catherine "Cathy" Dollanganger | Flowers in the Attic |
| Katherine "Kitty" Forman | That '70s Show |
| Catherine "Cathy" Hilliard | Wuthering Heights |
| Katherine "Kate" Monster | Avenue Q |
| Catherine "Cath" Avery | Fangirl |
| Katherine "Kate" Connor | Terminator 2 - Judgment Day |