Katherine
Greek Aikaterine, of obscure origin, later reshaped toward katharos “pure.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Katherine appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 132 different years between 1880 and 2016. Its biggest year was 1990, when 11,625 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 26 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1991, at No. 25. In 2025 it ranked No. 186 for girls. All told, 652,750 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Catherine (669,611), Kathryn (456,515), Katharine (41,241), Cathryn (16,332), Kathrine (15,775), Katheryn (15,220) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Kathy, Katie, Cathy, Kaitlyn, Katelyn, Caitlin, Kay, Katrina
Explore Katherine interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 6,922 | No. 50 |
| 1890s | 9,408 | No. 59 |
| 1900s | 12,105 | No. 53 |
| 1910s | 36,884 | No. 48 |
| 1920s | 42,745 | No. 45 |
| 1930s | 25,193 | No. 85 |
| 1940s | 39,912 | No. 59 |
| 1950s | 66,855 | No. 55 |
| 1960s | 50,619 | No. 70 |
| 1970s | 54,048 | No. 36 |
| 1980s | 99,175 | No. 26 |
| 1990s | 96,885 | No. 25 |
| 2000s | 65,356 | No. 33 |
| 2010s | 34,144 | No. 61 |
| 2020s | 10,675 | No. 136 |
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.