Katherine Meaning, Origin, History, And Popularity

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

In This Article

Origin, Meaning, And History Of Katherine

Katherine comes from the Greek word ‘katharos,’ meaning ‘pure.’ It was later modified from Katerina to Katharina in Latin. The name is also said to come from the Greek word Hekaterine, from the Greek goddess Hecate, who was worshiped as the protector of households in ancient Greece. Catherine is another popular variant of the name. They became a household name in the medieval period as it was associated with saints and other religious figures.

In history, Katherine of Alexandria was a revered Christian saint and a martyr during the 4th century. According to the records, she was a princess and a learned scholar who spread the word of Jesus Christ. However, she became a target and subsequently a victim of religious persecution under the reign of emperor Maxentius. Many centuries after her death, Joan of Arc, France’s patron saint, admitted to getting guidance from her in many of her visions. It is believed that the name Katherine was brought to England by the returning Crusaders in the late 12th century.

The name came to be associated with positive feminine attributes like good morals and pure-hearted nature. Some common variants of the word are Catherine, Katheryn, Cathryn, Catherina, Katherina, Katrina, and Katherine. Meanwhile, the diminutives are Kat, Cat, Kate, Katey, Kay, Cate, Kathy, Katy, Kae, Kit, Kaye, and Kitty.

Katherina Pierce is one of the main antagonists in the popular television series ‘The Vampire Diaries.’ As a doppelganger of Elena Gilbert, Nina Dobrev also plays her role. Katherine of Aragon is a historical character from the TV series ‘The Tudors,’ played by Maria Doyle Kennedy. Katherine Clark is the widowed mother of the protagonist Nora, played by Deirdre Lovejoy in the dance drama film ‘Step Up.’ Katherine Mayfair is the fictional character from the famous TV series ‘Desperate Housewives,’ played by Dana Delany.

Katherine

Meaning Katherine is a Greek name and means Pure

Gender Girl

Religion Greek,Sikh

Origin Greek, Roman

Names starting with K.. Ka.. Kat.. Khu.. Kai..

How To Pronounce Katherine?

English

Famous People With The Name Katherine

Katheryn Elizabeth HudsonAmerican pop star better known as Katy Perry, winner of 13 Grammy awards
Katherine Mary DunhamAmerican, dancer, choreographer, anthropologist, and social activist known as “matriarch and queen mother of black dance”
Katherine HeiglAmerican actress, Primetime Emmy Award winner best known for Grey’s Anatomy
Kathleen MansfieldNew Zealand writer, essayist, and journalist known as one of the prominent figures of modernist movement
Katharine HepburnAmerican actress, winner of 12 Academy Awards
Katherine BarrellCanadian actress, writer, producer, and director best known for her role as Sheriff Nicole Haught in television series Wynonna Earp

Katherine On The Popularity Chart

An old-time classic name for girls, Katherine’s popularity has gone down over the years. Take a look at the graphs provided by the Social Security Administration to see its performance over the years.

Popularity Over Time

Peaking during the 1980s and 1990s, the name has been declining in popularity over time. As of 2021, 1802 babies per million have the name.

Source: Social Security Administration

Rank Over Time

The name managed to perform consistently during the 1980s and the 1990s. However, since the start of the 2000s, it has slid to 158th position as of 2021.

Source: Social Security Administration