Catherine
Meaning & Origin
Meaning: Pure
Background: The name Catherine originates from the Greek name 'Aikaterine,' which is derived from the word 'katharos,' meaning 'pure.' This term was later adopted into Latin as 'Catherina' and further evolved in Old French as 'Catherine.'
At a glance
Quick stats based on the history of this name.
Lifetime rank
#39
Total births
668,624
Most popular decade
1950s
(327,171 births)
10-year trend
↓ Falling (-150 ranks)
Years in Top 100
121
First recorded year
1880
Gender usage
0.3% male
99.7% female
Stats by gender
Male
- First year
- 1884
- First year births
- 7
- First year rank
- #764
- Peak year
- 1989
- Peak year births
- 44
- Peak rank
- #1,733
- Most recent year
- 2007
- Recent year births
- 5
- Recent rank
- #12,366
Female
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 688
- First year rank
- #31
- Peak year
- 1956
- Peak year births
- 12,057
- Peak rank
- #28
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 955
- Recent rank
- #320
Births over time
Number of babies given this name each year.
Rank over time
Popularity rank by year (1 = most popular).