Katherine
Derived from Greek Aikaterine, a name of unknown meaning. Its spelling was later pulled toward katharos, the Greek word for pure, which is where the common gloss comes from.
Katherine in 2025
Katherine was given to 1,670 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 408th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,985 babies born.
The history of Katherine
Katherine reached its highest point in 1990, when 11,657 babies were given the name, ranking 67th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 64th, in 1991.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 652,750 babies have been named Katherine. Half of them were born before 1977, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation X.
Katherine by decade
| Decade | Babies named Katherine | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,927 | 71 |
| 1890s | 9,413 | 79 |
| 1900s | 12,139 | 73 |
| 1910s | 36,965 | 76 |
| 1920s | 42,911 | 85 |
| 1930s | 25,332 | 150 |
| 1940s | 40,042 | 115 |
| 1950s | 67,002 | 105 |
| 1960s | 50,775 | 126 |
| 1970s | 54,251 | 81 |
| 1980s | 99,625 | 68 |
| 1990s | 97,053 | 64 |
| 2000s | 65,475 | 80 |
| 2010s | 34,165 | 153 |
| 2020s | 10,675 | 339 |
Where Katherine is heading
Katherine has fallen 52% over the past decade, from 3,463 babies in 2015 to 1,670 in 2025.
Names like Katherine
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Katherine.