Catherine is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Catherine means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Catherine across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Catherine has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Catherine is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pure”. the meaning was influenced by the Greek word katharos.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 669,611 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 8,347 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 5,506 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 991 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 22,641 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 7,765 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Catherine per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1956 (12,075/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (1,412/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (880/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (298/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (101/yr).
Catherine has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1956, when it ranked #65 nationally (given to 12,075 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Katherine · Kathryn · Katharine · Catharine · Cathryn · Kathrine · Cathrine · Katherin
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