Names Similar to Kate

A huge name in the late 90's and most of the 00's, Kaitlyn's been on a downward trend in recent years. Kaitlyn and its soundalikes have been so well used in the US that they can no longer be seen as fresh, but it's still relatively popular in Canada.

Kaitlynn seems to be trying too hard to make its pronunciation plain. At this point, everyone knows that the name however you spell it is pronounced like Kate plus Lynn, so why go all the way to Kaitlynn? This spelling has been stumbling down the charts since its peak in 1998 and may not be around much longer.

Short, sharp, and pretty, Kaja is an international choice with multiple origins. Favored in Slovenia, Norway, and Poland, the similar Kaia is currently popular more widely.

Kalani is a rhythmic name that can be used for either gender though it is predominantly used on girls in the US. With its celestial meaning, and cool K beginning, it only entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2015. Now in the Top 400, it joins Kai and Leilani as popular choices with Hawaiian origins.

Kalenah, another form of Kalena, may have a variety of possible derivations, though we see it as one of the many descendants of Katherine.

Kali is a popular girls' name in the US with dark origins: She is the Hindu goddess of death and destruction, though we'd wager many parents see the name as simply a respelling of Callie.

Kali is a number of different things: a playful, contemporary twist on the name Callie; the Hindu goddess of destruction; an alternative spelling for Kaylee; a short form of the Arablic Kalila, the Greek Kalista, or the African American Kaliyah; a masculine name in India; and a trendy form of Kali(fornia).

Kalika derives from the name of Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction. It appears in the book series The Last Vampire.

The lilting name of a range of mythical mountains, with an extensive menu of spellings, and a more unusual way of fitting in with current favorites Lila and Lola.

Kallie is usually used as a nickname for more unusual names like Calliope, Kalliope, and Calendula. We also think this is a fresher alternative to Kelly.

A name of multiple identities: a somewhat soap-operatic single-syllable surname, a homonym for the biblical bad boy Cain, and, when found in Japan and Hawaii, it transforms into the two syllable KA-neh. Kane also has multiple meanings: in Welsh, it's "beautiful"; in Japanese, "golden"; and in Hawaiian, "man of the Eastern sky."

Kari originated as a short form of either Katherine or Caroline or their relatives such as Karen, Carol, and Carrie, while Elle is a quite popular French name meaning "she".

Attractive and equally intriguing alternative to Katya.

We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.

A European nickname for Katherine variations.

Spelling variant of Catalina, currently on the rise in the US.

The Russian version of Katherine is usually Ekaterina, but this Slovak form is used throughout Eastern Europe and may be more friendly to the American ear.

Countless notable figures from Polish history, and one America's Next Top Model contestant, have used this version of Catherine, made extra spicy by that "zy." Those interested in honoring a relative with the name might want to consider Kasia, Katarzyna's lovely (and much more English-friendly) nickname.

Original twist on this classic.