Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1980

Kateri

Meaning Kateri is a feminine given name Gender Girl Rank 2025 #4,406 Trend → Stable

Kateri is a feminine given name.

Rank 2025
#4,406
among girls · ↓546 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Kateri · -18% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,227
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1980
65 babies
All-time total
2,533
#4,016 all-time among girls
First recorded
1937
in Social Security records

Kateri popularity over time

2,533 babies have been named Kateri since 1937, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1980Girls

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 – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s 5 1 – #4,587
1940s 11 1 +120% #5,011
1950s 87 9 +691% #3,296
1960s 180 18 +107% #2,231
1970s 202 20 +12% #3,037
1980s 442 44 +119% #1,728
1990s 457 46 +3% #2,408
2000s 427 43 -7% #2,726
2010s 494 49 +16% #2,790
2020s (to 2025) 228 38 -23% #3,579

Where Kateri is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 31 0.02 outside top 500
2027 31 0.02 outside top 500
2028 30 0.02 outside top 500
2029 30 0.02 outside top 500
2030 30 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Kateri

Kateri is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,406 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1937, 2,533 American babies have been named Kateri. Its peak came in 1980, when 65 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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

How old are people named Kateri?

The median living Kateri is about 27 years old; half are between 13 and 42. An estimated 2,500 people named Kateri are alive in the United States today.

median 27 020406080100

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

Kateri year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 32 #4,406
2024 39 #3,860
2023 41 #3,742
2022 42 #3,679
2021 43 #3,579
2020 31 #4,397
2019 37 #3,965
2018 55 #2,982
2017 48 #3,332
2016 52 #3,161
2015 47 #3,411
2014 61 #2,829
2013 62 #2,790
2012 60 #2,885
2011 43 #3,634
2010 29 #4,916
2009 29 #5,010
2008 35 #4,404
2007 49 #3,407
2006 37 #4,038
2005 46 #3,341
2004 41 #3,598
2003 41 #3,500
2002 44 #3,221
2001 51 #2,859
2000 54 #2,726
1995 47 #2,641
1990 40 #2,870
1985 45 #2,267
1980 65 #1,728
1975 23 #3,095
1970 15 #3,942
1965 20 #2,782
1960 16 #3,147
1955 13 #3,296
1950 5 #5,680
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Kateri

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

  1. 1 Kateri Tekakwitha Kateri Tekakwitha Mohawk/Algonquin Catholic saint (1656–1680) 17th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kateri?

The median living Kateri is about 27 years old. Half of all living Kateris are between 13 and 42 years old.

How many people named Kateri are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Kateri are alive in the United States, based on 2,533 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kateri mean?

Kateri is a feminine given name.

How popular is the name Kateri in 2025?

Kateri ranked #4,406 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kateri?

2,533 babies have been named Kateri in the United States since 1937, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kateri most popular?

Kateri peaked in 1980, when 65 newborns received the name.

Is Kateri a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Kateri rising or falling?

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

Will Kateri become more popular?

Kateri is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 30 girls named Kateri in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kateri?

Well-known people named Kateri include Kateri Tekakwitha (religious figure).

Names like Kateri

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

Compare Kateri with similar names → More names starting with K →