Wikipedia

Katherine

Also found in: Dictionary, Encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Katherine (disambiguation).
Katherine
Carlo Crivelli 014.jpg
Catherine of Alexandria, by Carlo Crivelli. The name Catherine became famous in Christian communities because of this early saint.
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameGreek
Other names
Nickname(s)Kate, Kath, Cat, Cate, Cath, Catie, Cayte, Kathy, Kathie, Kathi, Katie, Katey, Katy, Kay, Kat, Katya, Katyusha, Kati, Kit, Kitty, Kasia, Cathy
Related namesKatheryn, Kathryne, Kathryn, Katharyn, Katherin, Catharine, Cathryn, Katheryne, Catherine, Katharine, Katharina, Ketherane, Katerine, Katrine, Katrina, Katrin, Karina, Carina, Kathrin, Katarina, Catarina, Katerina, Caterina, Ekaterina, Yekaterina, Chatarina, Aikaterine, Katarzyna

Katherine, Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.

The earliest known use of the name is in reference to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The theory that the name comes from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of magic, is regarded by the editors of the Oxford Dictionary of First Names as unconvincing.[1]

In the early Christian era it came to be associated with the Greek adjective καθαρός (katharos), meaning "pure", leading to the alternative spellings Katharine and Katherine. The former spelling, with a middle a, was more common in the past and is currently more popular in the United States than in Britain. Katherine, with a middle e, was first recorded in England in 1196 after being brought back from the Crusades.[2]

Popularity and variations

English

In Britain and the U.S., Catherine and its variants have been among the 100 most popular names since 1880. The most common variants are Katherine, Kathryn, and Katharine. The spelling Catherine is common in both English and French. Less-common variants in English include Katheryn, Katharyn, Kathryne, Katherin, Kathrine, Catharine and Cathryn.[3][4][5][6]

Kathleen or Cathleen, an Anglicized form of the Irish form Caitlín, has become established in the US among people with no Irish background, but is less popular in England and Wales.

The form Karen, of Danish origin, is now often considered an independent name in English.

Diminutives include Katie, Katy, Kate, Kathy, Kathe, Kath, Kay, Kat, Katya, Katyusha, Kitty, Kit, Kasia and others.

Other languages

See also

  • Caterina
  • Catherina
  • All pages with titles beginning with Catherine
  • All pages with titles beginning with Katharine
  • All pages with titles beginning with Katherine
  • All pages with titles beginning with Kathrine
  • All pages with titles beginning with Katie
  • St. Catherine (disambiguation)
  • Ecaterina
  • Ekaterina
  • Karen (name), usually a feminine given name, derived from the Danish short form of Katherine
  • Catriona

References

  1. ^ Patrick Hanks and Kate Hardcastle, eds., Oxford Dictionary of First Names, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), 154.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Withycombe, E. G. (1976). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (3rd ed.). London: Omega Books. ISBN 1-85007-059-8.
  3. ^ United States Social Security Administration. "Top Names Over the Last 100 Years". United States. Retrieved 3 November 2012. refers to 1912-2011: the order is Kathleen (rank 33), Catharine (rank 40), Katharine (42), Kathryn (72)
  4. ^ United States Social Security Administration. "Popular Baby Names". Retrieved 3 November 2012., for 2011 the order is Katherine (61), Catherine (161), Kathryn (237), Kathleen (632).
  5. ^ UK government Office for National Statistics. "Baby Names in England and Wales, 2011". Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  6. ^ UK government Office for National Statistics. "Baby Names, England and Wales, 1904-1994". Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h De Felice, Emidio (1995) [1986]. Dizionario dei nomi italiani (in Italian) (3 ed.). Milan: Mondadori.
This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.