Katherine
Girl name · #186 in 2025 · Uniqueness 52/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Katherine scores 52 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 Katherine is most common
Geography matters for names, and Katherine is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Katherines were TX (229), CA (160), FL (101), NC (81), NY (77). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 52/100 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.