Catherin
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "pure" or "innocent".
Name Census estimates that about 836 living Americans carry the first name Catherin. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Catherin today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Catherin births was 1989 (143 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Catherin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
836
~ 1 in 409,993 Americans
Peak year
1989
143 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2018 SSA rank
#16,166
Tracked since 1913
Popularity
Catherin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Catherin from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 207 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Catherin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Catherin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Catherins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Catherin, while Texas, California, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 52 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Catherin
The name Catherin is derived from the Greek name Aikaterine, which was a form of the name Hekaterine. This Greek name was itself derived from the Greek adjective "katharos" meaning "pure." The name became popular in early Christianity, particularly after the legend of St. Catherine of Alexandria emerged in the 9th century.
The name Catherin first appeared in written records during the Middle Ages in Western Europe. Its popularity spread as the veneration of St. Catherine grew across Catholic regions. The name was spelled in various ways, including Katerine, Katherina, and Catharina, reflecting local language variations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Catherin was Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), an influential philosopher, theologian, and mystic who was canonized as a saint in 1461. Another notable figure was Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), the first wife of King Henry VIII of England, who played a significant role in the English Reformation.
In the 16th century, Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589), an Italian noblewoman who became the Queen of France, was a prominent figure in the Renaissance era. Her influence on French culture and politics was substantial during her reign as regent for her three sons.
During the 17th century, Catherine of Braganza (1638-1705), a Portuguese princess who married King Charles II of England, played a crucial role in the development of tea culture in Britain by making tea drinking fashionable at court.
In the 18th century, Catherine the Great (1729-1796), Empress of Russia, is one of the most famous figures with this name. Her reign was marked by territorial expansion, cultural and economic reforms, and the promotion of the arts and sciences in Russia.
While the name Catherin has its roots in Greek and Christian traditions, it has been embraced by various cultures over the centuries, reflecting its enduring appeal and historical significance.
People
Catherin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Catherin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Catherin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Catherin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 836 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Catherin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 409,993 US residents.
Is Catherin a common name?
We classify Catherin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,121 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Catherin most popular?
The single biggest year for Catherin was 1989, when 143 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Catherin is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Catherin a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Catherin in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.