Kate
Kate is a feminine given name. It is often a short form of Katherine, Caitlin, and other names.
- English
- Croatian
Meaning & Origin of Kate
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kate is a feminine given name. It is often a short form of Katherine, Caitlin, and other names.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Croatian
The Story of Kate
The earliest SSA record of Kate as a baby girl name dates back to 1880, when 299 babies received it. 2007 was its biggest year on record, with 2,550 newborns named Kate — #136 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Kate on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kate ranks #567 for baby girls with 538 births, falling sharply (-38%). All told, over 87K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kate
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kate. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Caetlin
- Caitlin
- Caitlyn
- Cat
- Cate
- Catharine
- Catherin
- Catherina
- Catherine
- Cathie
- Cathleen
- Cathryn
- Cathy
- Catrina
- Kaety
- Kaitlin
- Kaitlyn
- Kaitlynn
- Kat
- Kata
- Katarina
- Katee
- Katelin
- Katelyn
- Katelynn
- Katey
- Katharine
- Katharyn
- Katherina
- Katherine
- Katheryn
- Katheryne
- Kathi
- Kathie
- Kathleen
- Kathlyn
- Kathryn
- Kathy
- Katica
- Katie
- Katlyn
- Katrina
- Katy
- Kay
- Kit
- Kittie
- Kitty
- Tina
Names that sound like Kate
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kate is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kate
What does the name Kate mean?
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In which U.S. states is Kate most popular?
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About the name Kate
Kate is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 87K births in the dataset. Kate's peak popularity came in 2007 when it ranked #79. Use the chart and map above to compare Kate's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2007 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.