Where does the name Katherine come from?

Katherine is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.

Is Katherine a boy or a girl name?

Katherine is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Katherine are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Katherine in 2023?

Katherine ranks #170 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1990 with 11,657 babies.

How do you pronounce Katherine?

Katherine is pronounced KATH-er-in (3 syllables).

What are common spellings of Katherine?

Katherine is also written as Catherine, Kathryn, Kathleen, Katarina.

A name from Ancient Greek · Girl

Katherine

From Greek Aikaterinē, traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. Carried by saints, queens, and empresses for two millennia — one of the deepest classical pedigrees in Western naming.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

647,510 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

1,705 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

KFrom Greek Aikaterinē, traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. Carried by saints, queens, and empresses for two millennia — one of the deepest classical pedigrees in Western naming.

Variants & spellings

4 ways to spell "Katherine".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Catherine Most common Kathryn Kathleen Katarina

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Katherine.

K
Katharine Hepburn (actress)
K
Catherine the Great (Russian Empress)
K
Catherine Middleton (Princess of Wales)

Quick answers

People often ask about Katherine.

What does the name Katherine mean?: Katherine means from Greek Aikaterinē, traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. Carried by saints, queens, and empresses for two millennia — one of the deepest classical pedigrees in Western naming.
Where does the name Katherine come from?: Katherine is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.
Is Katherine a boy or a girl name?: Katherine is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Katherine are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Katherine in 2023?: Katherine ranks #170 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1990 with 11,657 babies.
How do you pronounce Katherine?: Katherine is pronounced KATH-er-in (3 syllables).
What are common spellings of Katherine?: Katherine is also written as Catherine, Kathryn, Kathleen, Katarina.

Similar names

If you love Katherine, also consider…

Helen

#395

Girl ·Ancient Greek

From Greek Ἑλένη (Helenē), traditionally linked to ἑλένη meaning 'torch' or 'the shining one' — the deeper root remains uncertain

Gregory

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Boy ·Ancient Greek

From Latin Gregorius, from Greek Gregorios — 'watchful, vigilant', from gregorein ('to be alert, to watch')

Cynthia

#872

Girl ·Ancient Greek

From Greek Kynthia, an epithet of the goddess Artemis — meaning 'she of Mount Kynthos', the mountain on Delos where Artemis was said to have been born

Doris

#2359

Girl ·Ancient Greek

From Greek Dōris, a Nereid (sea-nymph) — daughter of Oceanus and mother of the fifty Nereids by Nereus

Kathryn

#678

Girl ·Ancient Greek

Modern spelling variant of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē — traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'

Eugene

#919

Boy ·Ancient Greek

From Greek Eugenios — eu ('well, good') + genos ('born'); 'well-born' or 'noble'

Kathy

#2834

Girl ·Ancient Greek

A short form of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē — traditionally linked to katharos meaning 'pure'

Crystal

#1189

Girl ·Ancient Greek

From the gemstone, ultimately from Greek krystallos meaning 'ice' or 'clear ice' — applied to rock crystal because it was thought to be permanently frozen water

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.