Katherine
Girl name · #186 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Katherine? In official American birth records, Katherine has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Katherine is currently the #186 girl name in the United States — 1,670 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #84, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 1,078 girls born in 2025 was named Katherine.
Babies named Katherine per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Katherine first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 502 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1990, when 11,625 girls were named Katherine — good for #26 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Katherine against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Katherine in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Katherine is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Katherine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Katherine is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Katherine is most common in AL (2.8 per 1,000), SC (2.4 per 1,000), MS (2.4 per 1,000), KY (2 per 1,000), KS (1.9 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Katherine is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Katherine
Katherine carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
KatherineKateKatieKathyKatKittyKaty
Counted as one name, the Katherine family went to about 2,805 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #88, versus #186 for Katherine alone.
Names like Katherine
Statistically, parents drawn to Katherine tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Jasmine, Caroline, Samantha, Stephanie, and Madeline.
JasmineCarolineSamanthaStephanieMadelineMadeleineAlexandraDanielle
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Katherine | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,670 | #186 |
| 2024 | 1,746 | #175 |
| 2023 | 1,705 | #170 |
| 2022 | 1,742 | #166 |
| 2021 | 1,821 | #157 |
| 2020 | 1,991 | #136 |
| 2019 | 2,450 | #120 |
| 2018 | 2,677 | #112 |
| 2017 | 2,861 | #105 |
| 2016 | 3,276 | #91 |
| 2015 | 3,454 | #84 |
| 2014 | 3,691 | #82 |
| 2013 | 3,723 | #77 |
| 2012 | 3,953 | #64 |
| 2011 | 4,189 | #61 |
| 2010 | 3,870 | #70 |
| 2009 | 4,432 | #60 |
| 2008 | 5,350 | #45 |
| 2007 | 5,818 | #39 |
| 2006 | 6,295 | #37 |
| 2005 | 6,392 | #36 |
| 2004 | 6,742 | #35 |
| 2003 | 7,126 | #35 |
| 2002 | 7,212 | #36 |
| 2001 | 7,880 | #35 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Katherine?
In official American birth records, the name Katherine first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 502 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Katherine a popular girl name?
Katherine ranked #186 among girls in 2025 with 1,670 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #84.
When was the name Katherine most popular?
Katherine peaked in 1990, when 11,625 American girls received the name (ranked #26 that year). Since 1990 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Katherine?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 1,078 newborn American girls was named Katherine. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.