Kate
Short form of Katherine, a Greek name long associated with katharos, “pure.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Kate appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1886. Its biggest year was 2007, when 2,550 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 136 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1880, at No. 79. In 2025 it ranked No. 520 for girls. All told, 86,076 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Cate (1,789), Kayte (508) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Katherine, Kaitlyn, Katelyn, Caitlin, Kaitlin
Explore Kate interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 3,194 | No. 79 |
| 1890s | 3,001 | No. 116 |
| 1900s | 2,058 | No. 180 |
| 1910s | 2,840 | No. 264 |
| 1920s | 1,966 | No. 398 |
| 1930s | 967 | No. 635 |
| 1940s | 1,002 | No. 669 |
| 1950s | 1,259 | No. 773 |
| 1960s | 2,037 | No. 662 |
| 1970s | 5,496 | No. 208 |
| 1980s | 13,568 | No. 178 |
| 1990s | 9,355 | No. 229 |
| 2000s | 20,768 | No. 136 |
| 2010s | 14,470 | No. 175 |
| 2020s | 4,006 | No. 411 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.