Catherine
Girl name · #313 in 2025 · Uniqueness 56/100
In 2025, 972 baby girls were named Catherine, placing it at #313 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #177, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,852 girls born in 2025 was named Catherine.
Babies named Catherine per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Catherine first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 688 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1956, when 12,056 girls were named Catherine — good for #28 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Catherine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Catherine in class?
Catherine scores 56 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Catherine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Catherine is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Catherines were TX (120), CA (88), NC (58), FL (46), NY (45). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Catherine
Statistically, parents drawn to Catherine tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jacqueline, Elaine, Katherine, Carmen, and Anne.
JacquelineElaineKatherineCarmenAnneLeslieValerieDiana
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Catherine | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 972 | #313 |
| 2024 | 956 | #322 |
| 2023 | 933 | #331 |
| 2022 | 981 | #328 |
| 2021 | 1,005 | #323 |
| 2020 | 1,155 | #267 |
| 2019 | 1,312 | #241 |
| 2018 | 1,507 | #205 |
| 2017 | 1,584 | #198 |
| 2016 | 1,669 | #195 |
| 2015 | 1,807 | #177 |
| 2014 | 1,945 | #170 |
| 2013 | 1,868 | #170 |
| 2012 | 1,913 | #165 |
| 2011 | 1,937 | #161 |
| 2010 | 1,612 | #193 |
| 2009 | 1,892 | #176 |
| 2008 | 2,323 | #148 |
| 2007 | 2,472 | #142 |
| 2006 | 2,793 | #121 |
| 2005 | 2,985 | #109 |
| 2004 | 3,181 | #103 |
| 2003 | 3,231 | #106 |
| 2002 | 3,292 | #101 |
| 2001 | 3,731 | #81 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Catherine a popular girl name?
Catherine ranked #313 among girls in 2025 with 972 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #177.
When was the name Catherine most popular?
Catherine peaked in 1956, when 12,056 American girls received the name (ranked #28 that year). Since 1956 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Catherine?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,852 newborn American girls was named Catherine. It scores 56/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.