Baby Name Popularity Profile
Katherine
Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Katherine.
National Rank (2025)
#186
All-Time Peak Rank
#25
Achieved 1991
Total U.S. Births
650,926
since 1880
Unisex Distribution
0.1% Boy / 99.9% Girl
Female Archetype
First Recorded
1880
Data through: 2025
Peak Decade
1980s
11,625 births in 1990
π‘ The Katherine Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.
π Meaning & Etymology
Primary Meaning
Pure
Language Origin
Greek
Origin Type
single
Derived from the Greek name Aikaterine, which was later associated with the Greek word katharos meaning 'pure'.
Common Nicknames
Kate
Katie
Kathy
Kit
Alternative Spellings
Catherine
Kathryn
Katharine
Katerine
Pronunciation:
KATH-Ι-rin
Etymology confidence:
High
π Popularity Over Time (1880 β 2025)
Annual registration volume (number of births) for Katherine across 146 years of SSA data.
Historical Timeline (1880 - 2025)
Recent Decade (2015 - 2025)
5-Year Trend (2020β2025)
-16.1%
10-Year Trend (2015β2025)
-51.7%
2015
2020
2025
π Popularity Milestones
Busiest Year on Record
11,625
births in 1990
Years in Top 100
132 yrs
Years in Top 500
146 yrs
Longest Streak
146 yrs
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 6,922
1890s: 9,408
1900s: 12,105
1910s: 36,884
1920s: 42,745
1930s: 25,193
1940s: 39,912
1950s: 66,855
1960s: 50,619
1970s: 54,048
1980s: 99,175
1990s: 96,885
2000s: 65,356
2010s: 34,144
2020s: 10,675
π Sound & Spelling Structure
Phonetic Syllables
Kat-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 K, a letter used by only 7.8% of SSA names.
π¨βπ©βπ§ Sibling Name Suggestions
π Authentic State & Regional Rankings
Highest Ranking State
Alaska
Top States
Alaska, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont
States with Data
51
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