🔥Catherine

Greek

"pure"

Catherine Origin and Meaning

The name Catherine is a girl's name of Greek origin meaning "pure".

Catherine is one of the oldest and most consistently well-used girls’ names, with endless variations and nicknames. The Catherine form feels more gently old-fashioned and feminine than the more popular K versions. Most stylish nickname for Catherine right now: Kate...or Cate, a la Blanchett.

While the popularity of the Catherine form has been waning in favor of Katherine with a K, we think that might turn around since Catherine Middleton, who reportedly hates the name Kate and never uses it, became the wife of Prince William and put a modern, stylish gloss on her already classy name.

The Catherine spelling was a Top 100 name until the millennium; it reached as high as Number 18 in the 19-teens.

Catherine has been well used throughout history for saints (one of whom, Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of philosophers, students, craftsmen, nurses,and librarians), queens, and commoners alike.

Catherine has also been associated with some of the great romantic heroines of literature, including Heathcliff's love in Wuthering Heights and the passionate nurse Catherine Barkley in Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms.

And if your're wondering why all those interchangeable C's and K's, it's because when the name was introduced into Anglo-Saxon Britain, Catherine was spelled with a C because the letter K did not yet exist in the English alphabet.

Parents may also want to consider one of the attractive foreign variations, such as Caterina.

Catherine Rank in US Top 1000

# 332 in the US

Catherine Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 188 on Nameberry

Catherine Popularity

• 332 US 2023
• 188 Nameberry 2024
• 453 Future 2028
• 457 England 2021

20 Names Similar to Catherine

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Catherine.

• Elizabeth
• Katherine
• Anne
• Caroline
• Margaret
• Anna
• Kate
• Alexandra
• Diana
• Mary
• Helen
• Jane
• Emily
• Julia
• Claire
• Charlotte
• Rebecca
• Emma
• Alice
• Grace

Famous People Named Catherine

• Saint Catherine of Alexandria 4th century Roman martyr
• Saint Catherine of Siena Italian nun
• Catherine I (born Marta Helena Skowrońska) Empress of Russia; wife of Peter the Great
• Catherine II "The Great" (born Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt Zerbst,Dornburg), Empress of Russia
• Catherine Queen of Navarre in her own right
• Catherine of Valois Queen consort of Henry V of England
• Catherine of Aragon first Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
• Catherine Howard fifth Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
• Catherine Parr sixth Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
• Catherine of Braganza Queen consort of Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland
• Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
• Catherine (Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo) de' Medici Queen consort of Henry II of France
• Catherine of Lancaster Queen consort of Henry III of Castile
• Catherine Sunadotter of Ymseborg Queen consort of Eric XI of Sweden and the Goths
• Catherine of Bjurum Queen consort of Charles VIII and I of Sweden and Norway
• Catherine of Saxe Lauenburg, first Queen consort of Gustav I of Sweden
• Catherine Stenbock second Queen consort of Gustav I of Sweden
• Catherine Jagiellon Queen consort of John III of Sweden
• Catherine of Austria Queen consort of John III of Portugal
• Catherine of Austria Queen consort of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland
• Catherine of Bosnia Queen consort of Stephen Thomas of Bosnia
• Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth American actress
• Catherine Elise "Cate" Blanchett Australian actress
• Catherine Ann Keener American actress
• Catherine Zeta Jones, Welsh actress
• Catherine "Kate" Bush English singer,songwriter
• Catherine "Kate" Ceberano Australian singer,songwriter
• Catherine Oxenberg American actress; daughter of Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia
• Catherine Fabienne Dorleac Deneuve French actress
• Catherine Lisa Bell American actress
• Catherine Lucy Hawking English journalist and novelist
• Catherine Tate British actress
• Catherine Jinks Australian author
• Catherine Curtin American actress
• Catherine Judith "Kate" Markowitz American singer,songwriter
• Catherine Joan "Kate" Wilkinson New Zealand politician
• Catherine Winifred "Kate" Harcourt New Zealand actress
• Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Pierson singer of American band The B,52's
• Catherine "Kate" Greenaway English children's author
• Catherine Davis "Kate" Higgins American voice actress
• Catherine "Catt" Sadler American entertainment news reporter
• Catherine Tate English comedienne
• Catherine Booth English co,founder of the Salvation Army
• Catherine Carey Lady Knollys, cousin and Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I
• Catherine Willoughby 12th Baroness Willoughby de Eresby
• Catherine Seymour Countess of Hertford, sister of Lady Jane Grey
• Catherine Thomson "Kate" Dickens wife of novelist Charles Dickens
• Catherine Skinner Australian sport shooter
• Catherine O’Hara Canadian actress
• Catherine Elizabeth "Cate" Edwards attorney and daughter of former U.S. Senator John Edwards
• Catherine Paiz YouTuber from "The ACE Family"

Catherine in Pop Culture

• Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Catherine "Kitty" Bennet two characters from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
• Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw character in Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights"
• Catherine Linton daughter of Catherine Earnshaw, character in "Wuthering Heights"
• Catherine Barkley main love interest in Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms"
• Catherine minor character in "The Great Gatsby"
• Catherine Willows character from TV's 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'
• Catherine Tramell main character in movie 'Basic Instinct'
• "Catherine " Atlus video game and main character
• Catherine Leigh Dollanganger from the Dollanganger Saga by V.C. Andrews
• Catherine Morland character from Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey
• Catherine Chandler character from TV's "Beauty And The Beast"
• Catherine Martell character on TV's "Twin Peaks"
• "Catherine " series of novels by Juliette Benzoni
• Catherine Rollins character on TV's 'Hawaii Five,0'
• Lavinia Catherine Swire character from Downton Abbey
• Catherine "Charlie" Demarco character from the TV Series Graceland
• Catherine Jane "Cat" Grant character on TV's "Supergirl"
• Catherine Meyer Selina's daughter on TV's "Veep"
• Catherine Wilder (née Henderson) character in Marvel Universe
• Catherine character in Fire Emblem Three Houses video game