Name Katherine

Katherine is a feminine name with Greek origins. It is considered a ubiquitous name that has experienced moderate growth in popularity recently.

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Meaning of the name Katherine

Origins and Core Meaning

Katherine, derived from the Greek word "katharos", means "pure" or "innocent". It embodies the essence of purity, unadulterated innocence, and untainted virtue. The name exudes an aura of chastity, innocence, and unblemished character, suggesting an individual with a spotless heart and unblemished reputation. The meaning of Katherine suggests a person who upholds the highest moral standards and strives to maintain a pristine reputation.

Detailed Insights on Katherine

Origins

Greek - "katharos" ("pure").

Symbolic Representation

The name Katherine is often associated with the symbolism of the "pure one". It represents the qualities of innocence, virtue, and unblemished character. The name can also be linked to the symbolism of the "flower", suggesting beauty, grace, and delicate fragility. Katherine is frequently depicted as a beautiful and virtuous woman, often associated with images of lilies or roses, flowers that symbolize purity and innocence. The name's connection to the symbolism of "light" further enhances its positive connotations, suggesting an individual who brings illumination and positivity into the lives of others.

Personality Traits

The name Katherine evokes a sense of warmth, tenderness, and compassion. It radiates an aura of love, empathy, and understanding. Those with this name tend to possess a gentle and kind-hearted nature, often exhibiting a genuine concern for the well-being of others. Katherine conveys a sense of stability, reliability, and trustworthiness, inspiring confidence in those around them. It suggests a person who is approachable, non-judgmental, and always willing to lend a helping hand. The name Katherine is often associated with qualities such as patience, forgiveness, and inner strength, making it a fitting choice for individuals who embody these virtues.

Key Personality Traits

Personal Meanings of the Name Katherine

  • Folk etymology from Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend (mid-13th century, trans. William Caxton) entry about Saint Katherine of Alexandria:
    "is said of catha, that is all, and ruina that is falling, for all the edifice of the devil fell all from her. For the edifice of pride fell from her by humility that she had, and the edifice of fleshly desire fell from her by her virginity, and worldly covetise, for that she despised all worldly things. Or Katherine may be said as, a little chain, for she made a chain of good works by which she mounted into heaven, and this chain or ladder had four grees or steps which be: innocence of work, cleanness of body, despising of vanity and saying of truth."
    Voragine's etymologies are, by and large, totally fabricated in order to highlight the saint's qualities, but they're fun!

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  • Catherine is most likely related to the name Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love. Composed of Ka and Hathor (with en = of). Ka being the Egyptian word for soul. Hathor being the Egyptian goddess of love, the best translation for Ka-Hathor-En would be Soul of Hathor (goddess of love).
    This would pre-date other translations as it would be Ancient Egyptian.
    It is also interesting to note that it is one of the minority of female names that does not have a masculine form.

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  • Based on personal research, I'm convinced that this name is Coptic. It appears pretty late in Greece, after the time of St Catherine of Alexandria, and it would make sense that she would have a Coptic name. Therefore, "my consecration of your name" is the most likely meaning. I don't speak Coptic, and don't know its word order, but putting together words from a dictionary tells me that the original was something like Eikaiteranne, Aiktagerin, Aiktagerinne, Aiktadzhiranne or Kjaikdzhiran. "Consecration" is "aik/aeik," "eikainia," "dzhiaeik," or "kjaik." "To be named" is "dzhiran." "My" is "na-," "pa-," or "ta-" and "your" is "ne-" or "pe-." "To give a name" is "tren." "Name" (noun) is "ran" and "to pronounce a name" is "tago" or "tago rin". All the parts are here; I just don't know what order they go in.
    Tl;dr Katherine is most likely Coptic.

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Katherine Overview & Analysis

Gender statistics

Katherine is predominantly a girl's name with a strong feminine identity. Among 651,689 people named Katherine, 651,458 are female and 231 are male resulting in a 99.964% female distribution. This pronounced gender imbalance underscores the name Katherine's strong feminine identity.

Data Explanation

This data is sourced from actual birth records, ensuring that the statistics provided are accurate reflections of real naming trends. The percentage has been rounded up for easier readability, but the underlying figures are grounded in factual data, not estimates. This ensures that the information is both reliable and user-friendly, giving a clear and truthful picture of the name Katherine's gender association.

Popularity

Katherine classified as an ubiquitous name and ranks 96 in the Namedary database. It has experienced moderate growth over the years, and experienced moderate growth recently. The chance of meeting someone named Katherine is nearly 0.18%, or about one in 500+ people.

Popularity and Usage Trends for Katherine

Based on the latest data from 2021 (2,478), 2022 (2,469), 2023 (1,697), Katherine's year-to-year percentage change in popularity is -5.88%. The name Katherine was most popular in 1990, making up 0.33% of baby names (or about one in 300+ babies), and reached its lowest point in 2022 with a usage rate of 0.05%.

Country-Specific Prevalence
Katherine Popularity by Country
FlagCountryRankPopularity
United States910.19%
Australia1570.18%
Canada1660.12%
New Zealand2160.13%
United Kingdom2320.09%

People named Katherine are predominantly found in United States (US), particularly in California (CA), where it makes up 0.19% of the population.

Data Source

The data in this section was gathered from a variety of sources, including:

To enhance readability, percentages are rounded up. Values less than 0.0015% have been omitted.

Additional Information on Katherine

Pronunciation and Phonetics

Name
Katherine
Pronunciation
  • K-AE-th-r-in
  • katherine
  • kather-ine
  • kath-er-in
  • Kather-ine
IPA Notation
kæˈθɚɪn
Syllable
Chinese Translation of the Name Katherine
Translation
凯瑟琳
Pronunce
(PinYin) : kǎi sè lín
Feng Shui
WoodWoodWood
Katherine in Numerology
Katherine: Name to Numerology Conversion
KATHERINE
1595
22895

Applying the rules of numerology (Pythagorean numerology):

Katherine's Soul Number (Heart's Desire Number): Number 2

  • You aspire to be a cooperative mediator who promotes peace and harmony in the community.
  • You desire to thrive in a harmonious environment where everyone feels happy.
  • You are driven by love, harmony, friendship, and relationships in life. You seek to support, nurture, love, and heal others.

Katherine's Expression Number (Personality Number): Number 8

  • You possess a strong desire to forge your own path, valuing independence and embracing individuality.
  • In certain situations, you may exhibit strong personalities; daring to venture, to stand out, to shine is your essence.

Katherine's Destiny Number (Life Path Number): Number 1

  • You possess the willpower, strength, determination, creativity, discipline, and independence to rise to a leadership position.
  • You have the ability to master your destiny and life path. You thrive in positions of power and maintain strong independence.
Famous People Named Katherine
  • Katherine of Aragon (1485-1533) - Queen of England
  • Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) - New Zealand short story writer
  • Katherine Hepburn (1907-2003) - American actress
  • Katherine Graham (1917-2001) - Publisher of The Washington Post
  • Katherine Johnson (1918-2020) - American mathematician and NASA scientist

User-Submitted Information about Katherine

  • Nicknames for Katherine:
    Rin
    Kat
    Kate
    Katie
    Kathy.

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  • In 2018, 20 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Katherine who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 92nd most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.

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  • In the late 1800s this was also used as a boy's name.

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Conclusion

Katherine is a name that emanates purity, love, and compassion. It represents an individual who strives to uphold the highest moral standards and maintain a spotless reputation. The name conveys a sense of stability, reliability, and trustworthiness, inspiring confidence in those around them. With its gentle and kind-hearted nature, Katherine is a name that reflects the positive qualities of the human spirit. It is a fitting choice for individuals who embody the virtues of purity, empathy, and selflessness, inspiring others to strive for the same.

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