Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1915

Catharine

Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists

A female given name from Ancient Greek, of less common usage, variant of Catherine.

Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Catharine
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1915
281 babies
All-time total
12,994
#1,419 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Catharine popularity over time

12,994 babies have been named Catharine since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1883Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 478 48 – #249
1890s 801 80 +68% #283
1900s 1,117 112 +39% #285
1910s 2,086 209 +87% #332
1920s 1,643 164 -21% #472
1930s 844 84 -49% #658
1940s 1,012 101 +20% #744
1950s 1,387 139 +37% #701
1960s 1,074 107 -23% #909
1970s 777 78 -28% #1,088
1980s 705 71 -9% #1,449
1990s 550 55 -22% #1,736
2000s 337 34 -39% #3,078
2010s 147 15 -56% #5,655
2020s (to 2025) 36 6 -59% #9,702

The story of Catharine

Catharine is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 12,994 American babies have been named Catharine. Its peak came in 1915, when 281 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Catharine stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Catharine?

The median living Catharine is about 59 years old; half are between 40 and 71. An estimated 5,500 people named Catharine are alive in the United States today.

median 59 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Catharine year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 7 #12,417
2023 5 #15,658
2022 6 #13,949
2021 8 #11,328
2020 10 #9,702
2019 10 #9,881
2018 9 #10,742
2017 13 #8,378
2016 12 #9,004
2015 12 #9,063
2014 23 #5,655
2013 16 #7,465
2012 11 #9,857
2011 19 #6,615
2010 22 #6,015
2009 18 #7,124
2008 28 #5,171
2007 31 #4,713
2006 31 #4,599
2005 30 #4,506
2004 36 #3,914
2003 42 #3,422
2002 31 #4,091
2001 45 #3,102
2000 45 #3,078
1995 47 #2,628
1990 84 #1,736
1985 74 #1,606
1980 66 #1,705
1975 94 #1,221
1970 109 #1,088
1965 93 #1,086
1960 104 #1,053
1955 141 #814
1950 142 #720
1945 90 #792
1940 71 #849
1935 81 #751
1930 108 #661
1925 175 #540
1920 205 #475
1915 281 #357
1910 139 #332
1905 135 #285
1900 104 #332
1895 89 #308
1890 53 #350
1885 56 #264
1880 28 #296

Famous people named Catharine

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Catharine MacKinnon Catharine MacKinnon American feminist scholar and legal activist (born 1946) Contemporary
  2. 2 Catharine Pendrel Catharine Pendrel Canadian cross-country mountain biker b. 1980 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Catharine, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Catharine?

The median living Catharine is about 59 years old. Half of all living Catharines are between 40 and 71 years old.

How many people named Catharine are alive today?

An estimated 5,500 people named Catharine are alive in the United States, based on 12,994 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Catharine mean?

A female given name from Ancient Greek, of less common usage, variant of Catherine.

How popular is the name Catharine in 2025?

Catharine did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Catharine?

12,994 babies have been named Catharine in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Catharine most popular?

Catharine peaked in 1915, when 281 newborns received the name.

Is Catharine a boy or girl name?

Catharine is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Catharine rising or falling?

Catharine is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Catharine?

Well-known people named Catharine include Catharine MacKinnon (social activist), Catharine Pendrel (cyclist).

Names like Catharine

Names that sound and feel close to Catharine: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Catharine with similar names → More names starting with C →