Catherine
Girl name · #313 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Catherine? In official American birth records, Catherine has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
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. Source: Official national birth records.
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?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Catherine 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 Catherine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Catherine is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Catherine is most common in AL (1.5 per 1,000), KY (1.5 per 1,000), CT (1.3 per 1,000), NC (1.2 per 1,000), MS (1.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Catherine is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Catherine
Catherine carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Catherine family went to about 1,995 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #148, versus #313 for Catherine alone.
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, Carmen, Anne, and Leslie.
JacquelineElaineCarmenAnneLeslieValerieDianaGwendolyn
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
How old is the name Catherine?
In official American birth records, the name Catherine first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 688 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
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. 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.