Catherine

Meaning of Catherine

Catherine traces its lineage to the Greek Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterínē), a term most credibly linked to καθαρός, “pure,” and thereby conveys an enduring semantic halo of moral clarity; from its earliest attestation in late-antique hagiography—most notably in the figure of the erudite martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria—it migrated into the Latin ecclesiastical register, thence into Norman French, and finally into Middle English, acquiring the standardized spelling familiar today. Across subsequent centuries the name accrued a distinguished repertoire of bearers—Catherine of Siena, whose theological writings shaped late-medieval spirituality; Catherine Parr, the last consort of Henry VIII and a patron of humanist learning; Catherine the Great, an emblem of enlightened absolutism; and, in more recent cultural memory, the Academy-honored actress Katharine Hepburn—each reinforcing its reputation for intellectual rigor and quiet authority. In the United States, Social Security data reveal a prolonged period of high favor between the 1910s and the mid-1960s, during which Catherine consistently occupied positions within the national top fifty; thereafter, while its absolute frequency has gradually declined to a rank near 300 in 2024, the name endures as a classical option whose phonetic simplicity (KATH-rin) and rich historical resonance continue to appeal to parents seeking a timeless, academically respectable choice for a daughter.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as KATH-rin (/kæˈθrɪn/)

• Kathryn
• Katherine
• Kate
• Caitlin
• Cate
• Cathy