Katherine
Meaning: not confirmed (origin debated)
About the name Katherine
The origin of Katherine is debated, and we couldn't confirm its meaning from a sourced etymology. A commonly cited theory links it to Greek roots, with the meaning “Pure”. Treat that as a theory, not a settled fact.
Why we say this: we only state a meaning as fact when a sourced etymology (Wiktionary, with its references) supports it. For Katherine we didn't find one we were confident in, so we show the popular explanation as a theory.
It has a classic feel. In 2025, Katherine ranked #186 for girls in the US, with 1,670 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1990. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Katherine were girls.
- US rank 2025
- #186
- In 2015
- #84
- Babies in 2025
- 1,670
Popularity of Katherine, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Katherine
Names similar to Katherine
- Madeline“woman from Magdala”
- AndreaOrigin debated
- Angela“messenger, angel”
- Corinne“girl, maiden, daughter”
- Cynthia“Cynthian (of or pertaining to Mount Cynthus, a mountain of Delos, celebrated as the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis)”
- ElenaOrigin debated
- Irene“peace”
- KateOrigin debated
- Lydia“the region of Lydia”
- Margaret“Pearl”
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.