Where does the name Kathryn come from?

Kathryn is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.

Is Kathryn a boy or a girl name?

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

How popular is the name Kathryn in 2023?

Kathryn ranks #678 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1952 with 8,517 babies.

How do you pronounce Kathryn?

Kathryn is pronounced KATH-rin (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Kathryn?

Kathryn is also written as Katherine, Catherine, Kathleen.

A name from Ancient Greek · Girl

Kathryn

Modern spelling variant of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē — traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. The 'Kathryn' spelling became distinctively American in the 20th century.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

454,649 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

432 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

KModern spelling variant of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē — traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. The 'Kathryn' spelling became distinctively American in the 20th century.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Kathryn".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Katherine Most common Catherine Kathleen

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Kathryn.

K
Kathryn Bigelow (Oscar-winning director)
K
Kathryn Hahn (actress)
K
Kathryn Stockett (author)

Quick answers

People often ask about Kathryn.

What does the name Kathryn mean?: Kathryn means modern spelling variant of Katherine, from Greek Aikaterinē — traditionally connected to katharos meaning 'pure'. The 'Kathryn' spelling became distinctively American in the 20th century.
Where does the name Kathryn come from?: Kathryn is a girl name of Ancient Greek origin.
Is Kathryn a boy or a girl name?: Kathryn is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Kathryn are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Kathryn in 2023?: Kathryn ranks #678 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1952 with 8,517 babies.
How do you pronounce Kathryn?: Kathryn is pronounced KATH-rin (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Kathryn?: Kathryn is also written as Katherine, Catherine, Kathleen.

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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.