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Katherine

Katherine is a girl's name of English origin meaning “pure.” In 2024 it was given to 1,740 girls in the United States.

Katherine at a glance

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

About the name Katherine

Katherine 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. It travels in a few spellings: Catherine.

In the United States, Katherine first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #25 in 1991, and in 2024 1,740 babies received the name — 649,238 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Katherine in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#25 in 1991
Peak year
1990
Babies named Katherine in 2024
1,740
Total since 1880
649,238

Spellings & short forms

Catherine

Similar names

More names from the English & American shelf:

NancyEnglishBettyEnglishEmilyEnglishAshleyEnglishAmandaEnglishStephanieEnglishShirleyEnglishCatherineEnglish

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Katherine mean?

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

Is Katherine a boy or girl name?

Katherine is a girl name. In 2024, 1,740 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Katherine?

Katherine comes from the English & American tradition. It is also spelled Catherine.

How popular is the name Katherine?

Katherine first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #25 in 1991, and 1,740 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Katherine?

Katherine 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.