Katharine is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Katharine means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Katharine across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Katharine has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Katharine is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pure”. A variant spelling of Katherine.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 41,241 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,130 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 397 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 11 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 51 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 Katharine per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1982 (946/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (152/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1987 (27/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1985 (6/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (4/yr).
Katharine has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1982, when it ranked #507 nationally (given to 960 babies that year).
Catherine · Katherine · Kathryn · Catharine · Cathryn · Kathrine · Cathrine · Katherin
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