Girl · #4,910 in 2026

Katharine

Katherine, also spelled Catherine and other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.

  • English
  • German
Current Rank
#4,910
Peak Rank
#171 (1982)
Total Babies
41K
5-Yr Trend
-41%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1982
Peak Year
#171
Peak Rank
41K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Katharine

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Katherine, also spelled Catherine and other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • German

The Story of Katharine

Katharine first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 76 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1982: 947 births, good for #261 nationwide. As of 2026, Katharine ranks #4,910 for baby girls with 27 births, falling sharply (-41%). All told, over 41K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Katharine

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Katharine. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Katharine

Phonetically similar names — useful when Katharine 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 Katharine

What does the name Katharine mean?
Katherine, also spelled Catherine and other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
What is the origin of the name Katharine?
Katharine has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, German.
How popular is Katharine in 2026?
In 2026, Katharine ranks #4,910 among girls' names in the U.S., with 27 babies given the name that year.
When was Katharine most popular?
Katharine reached its peak popularity in 1982, ranking #171 that year with 947 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Katharine most popular?
Katharine has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Connecticut, New Hampshire. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Katharine.
Is Katharine a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Katharine is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Katharine?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Katharine include Phoebe, Cleo, Teri. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Katharine?
Common variants and related forms of Katharine include Cat, Cate, Catherina, Catherine, Cathie, Cathrin. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Phoebe
Peak #171
👧
Cleo
Peak #171
👧
Teri
Peak #171
👧
Shania
Peak #171
👧
Adaline
Peak #172
👧
Antoinette
Peak #170
👧
Trina
Peak #172
👧
Jeannine
Peak #172

About the name Katharine

Katharine is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 41K births in the dataset. Katharine's peak popularity came in 1982 when it ranked #171. Use the chart and map above to compare Katharine's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.