Baby Name Popularity Profile

Catherine

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Catherine.

✦ Pure 🌍 Greek traditional royal
National Rank (2025) #314
All-Time Peak Rank #18 Achieved 1914
Total U.S. Births 667,789 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 0.0% Boy / 100.0% Girl Female Archetype
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 12,056 births in 1956
πŸ’‘ The Catherine Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Pure
Language Origin Greek
Origin Type single
Derived from the Greek name Aikaterine, of uncertain original meaning, but later associated with the Greek word *katharos* (pure) and the Latin *catharus*.
Common Nicknames
Cat Cate Cathy Katie
Alternative Spellings
Katherine Katharine Kathryn Katheryn
Pronunciation: KATH-Ι™-rin
Themes & Categories
traditional royal
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Catherine

According to SSA data, Catherine achieved its highest historical rank of #18 in 1914. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1956 with 12,056 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 46.2%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Catherine across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Declining
10-Year Shift -46.2% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 12,056 births in 1956
Years in Top 100 121 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Moderately Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 8,915
1890s: 14,502
1900s: 22,006
1910s: 65,823
1920s: 78,881
1930s: 50,027
1940s: 62,086
1950s: 108,839
1960s: 76,788
1970s: 43,864
1980s: 42,437
1990s: 40,763
2000s: 29,702
2010s: 17,154
2020s: 6,002

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Cat-he-rine
Letter Count 9 letters
Spelling Complexity Complex
Length Percentile Longer than 92.2% of names
Linguistic Profile: Longer than 92.2% of SSA names. Starts with C, a letter used by only 5.7% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Catherine.

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State District of Columbia
Top States District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
District of Columbia #97 5,433 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #249 27,131 1920 11.5% Decline
Delaware Unranked 2,190 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #246 56,931 1917 Stable
New York #381 79,230 1918 29.7% Decline
Rhode Island Unranked 3,747 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #285 15,416 1920 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #313 27,457 1918 25.7% Decline
Connecticut #226 10,643 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 1,454 1915 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 2,461 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #240 17,324 1956 20.9% Decline
Maine Unranked 3,332 1956 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina #271 10,398 1921 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #365 33,809 1956 37.8% Decline
Louisiana #303 11,878 1953 60.5% Decline
Alabama #156 11,154 1926 6.7% Decline
Michigan #443 22,892 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Montana Unranked 1,828 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin #487 11,778 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #358 26,912 1956 13.9% Decline
Alaska Unranked 808 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Mississippi #251 7,354 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #430 10,659 1956 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #183 16,546 1953 +9.4% Growth
Wyoming Unranked 771 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #353 15,893 1955 27.9% Decline
Missouri #487 12,597 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska #350 3,922 1956 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia #238 4,852 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 1,586 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #307 11,945 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa #401 6,585 1953 Insufficient historical volume
Kentucky #176 8,196 1920 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #258 5,612 1956 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 1,591 1915 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas #294 4,876 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #406 15,348 1958 29.2% Decline
Washington #369 7,176 1951 Insufficient historical volume
California #372 43,605 1956 39.7% Decline
South Dakota Unranked 1,452 1952 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #569 3,794 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #436 4,510 1925 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 2,211 1956 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #287 8,270 1953 12.9% Decline
Idaho #361 1,343 1951 Insufficient historical volume
Oklahoma #559 4,433 1955 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #290 24,867 1956 11.1% Decline
Arizona #395 3,916 1958 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada Unranked 1,008 1965 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #552 2,453 1952 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
Kenneth Stephen Steven Paul Stevenson Kimberly Fransico Timothey Timothy Edmundo
πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
Gwendolyn Diana Jacquelyn Gwyndolyn Kathaleen Jeannetta Micheline Georganne Katheleen Michelene

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