Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1958

Cathy

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #8,463

A diminutive of the female given name Catherine and of its variant forms, also used as a formal given name in the 20th century.

Rank 2025
#8,463
among girls · ↓2,473 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
12
named Cathy · -40% vs 2024
How common
1 in 133,939
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1958
10,961 babies
All-time total
170,646
#232 all-time among girls
First recorded
1918
in Social Security records

Cathy popularity over time

170,646 babies have been named Cathy since 1918, 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
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s 13 – 13 1 – #3,516
1920s 118 – 118 12 +808% #1,911
1930s 578 – 578 58 +390% #559
1940s 15,550 44 15,594 1,559 +2598% #81
1950s 82,719 140 82,859 8,286 +431% #34
1960s 51,624 129 51,753 5,175 -38% #46
1970s 12,943 30 12,973 1,297 -75% #137
1980s 3,662 – 3,662 366 -72% #402
1990s 1,565 – 1,565 157 -57% #915
2000s 916 – 916 92 -41% #1,527
2010s 484 – 484 48 -47% #2,749
2020s (to 2025) 131 – 131 22 -55% #4,286

The story of Cathy

Cathy is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,463 in 2025 with 12 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1918, 170,646 American babies have been named Cathy. Its peak came in 1958, when 10,961 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Cathy stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cathy?

The median living Cathy is about 66 years old; half are between 61 and 71. An estimated 145 thousand people named Cathy are alive in the United States today.

median 66 020406080100

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

Cathy year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 12 #8,463 – –
2024 20 #5,990 – –
2023 25 #5,156 – –
2022 20 #6,040 – –
2021 22 #5,604 – –
2020 32 #4,286 – –
2019 30 #4,564 – –
2018 44 #3,516 – –
2017 31 #4,499 – –
2016 53 #3,111 – –
2015 64 #2,749 – –
2014 48 #3,338 – –
2013 59 #2,876 – –
2012 56 #3,015 – –
2011 47 #3,419 – –
2010 52 #3,166 – –
2009 56 #3,053 – –
2008 61 #2,894 – –
2007 79 #2,398 – –
2006 88 #2,190 – –
2005 93 #2,016 – –
2004 104 #1,823 – –
2003 103 #1,816 – –
2002 93 #1,900 – –
2001 120 #1,546 – –
2000 119 #1,527 – –
1995 141 #1,217 – –
1990 209 #916 – –
1985 362 #548 – –
1980 567 #402 – –
1975 970 #252 – –
1970 2,586 #137 11 #2,917
1965 4,151 #88 5 #3,992
1960 9,130 #46 21 #1,779
1955 8,665 #44 15 #2,059
1950 5,031 #75 10 #2,457
1945 824 #231 6 #3,036
1940 195 #496 – –
1935 60 #893 – –
1930 25 #1,579 – –
1925 12 #2,805 – –
1920 5 #5,101 – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Cathy

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

  1. 1 Cathy Moriarty Cathy Moriarty American actress (born 1960) Contemporary
  2. 2 Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Aboriginal Australian athlete and Olympic gold medallist (born 1973) Contemporary
  3. 3 Cathy Dennis British singer, songwriter and producer b. 1969 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Cathy O'Donnell Cathy O'Donnell American actress (1923–1970) Contemporary
  5. 5 Cathy Weseluck Cathy Weseluck Canadian actress b. 1970 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Cathy Berberian Cathy Berberian American mezzo-soprano and composer (1925–1983) Contemporary
  7. 7 Cathy Ferguson Cathy Ferguson American swimmer (born 1948) Contemporary
  8. 8 Cathy Carr Cathy Carr American Olympian swimmer b. 1954 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Cathy?

The median living Cathy is about 66 years old. Half of all living Cathys are between 61 and 71 years old.

How many people named Cathy are alive today?

An estimated 145 thousand people named Cathy are alive in the United States, based on 170,646 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cathy mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Catherine and of its variant forms, also used as a formal given name in the 20th century.

How popular is the name Cathy in 2025?

Cathy ranked #8,463 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 12 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cathy?

170,646 babies have been named Cathy in the United States since 1918, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cathy most popular?

Cathy peaked in 1958, when 10,961 newborns received the name.

Is Cathy a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Cathy rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Cathy?

Well-known people named Cathy include Cathy Moriarty (actor), Cathy Freeman (athlete), Cathy Dennis (singer).

Names like Cathy

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

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