Cathy is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Cathy means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Cathy across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Cathy has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Cathy is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pure”. a pet form of Catherine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 170,646 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 58 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 15 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 667 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 Cathy per year, United States (1918 to 2025). United States peaked in 1958 (10,961/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1986 (32/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (9/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2000 (5/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1982 (3/yr).
Cathy has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1958, when it ranked #74 nationally (given to 10,961 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Kathy · Kathie · Kathi · Cathie · Cathey · Cathi · Kathey · Kathe
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