Catherine

Catherine is a girl's name of English origin meaning “pure.” In 2024 it was given to 955 girls in the United States.

Catherine at a glance

Gender
Girl name
Origin
English & American
Meaning
“pure”
Pronunciation
/ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/

About the name Catherine

Catherine belongs to the English & American tradition. Its meaning — “pure” — is the sense carried by its English roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, Catherine first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #18 in 1914, and in 2024 955 babies received the name — 666,802 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Catherine in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#18 in 1914
Peak year
1956
Babies named Catherine in 2024
955
Total since 1880
666,802

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Catherine mean?

Catherine means “pure” in its English roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Catherine a boy or girl name?

Catherine is a girl name. In 2024, 955 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Catherine?

Catherine comes from the English & American tradition.

How popular is the name Catherine?

Catherine first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #18 in 1914, and 955 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Catherine?

Catherine is pronounced /ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.