Katavia
An Aboriginal name of uncertain meaning, possibly derived from the Wiradjuri Australian Aboriginal language.
Name Census estimates that about 32 living Americans carry the first name Katavia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Katavia today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Katavia births was 1988 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Katavia. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Katavia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
32
~ 1 in 10,711,073 Americans
Peak year
1988
6 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2007 SSA rank
#19,023
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Katavia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Katavia from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 22 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Katavia 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 Katavia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Katavia
The name Katavia is believed to have originated from the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now central Italy between the 8th and 3rd centuries BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Etruscan word "katavi," which means "she who shines" or "the radiant one."
The earliest known record of the name Katavia comes from an Etruscan funerary inscription dated to around the 5th century BCE. This inscription was discovered in the necropolis of Cerveteri, an ancient Etruscan city located near modern-day Rome. The name was inscribed on a sarcophagus, suggesting that it was borne by a woman of high status or nobility.
In ancient Roman times, the name Katavia was occasionally adopted by Roman families who admired Etruscan culture and sought to associate themselves with the prestigious heritage of their northern Italian neighbors. One notable example is Katavia Romana, a wealthy Roman matron who lived in the 2nd century CE and was known for her patronage of the arts and literature.
During the Middle Ages, the name Katavia fell into relative obscurity, likely due to the decline of the Etruscan language and culture. However, it resurfaced in the Renaissance period, when there was a renewed interest in classical antiquity and Etruscan studies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name's revival is Katavia Farnese (1490-1538), an Italian noblewoman who was a prominent patron of the arts and a close friend of the renowned artist Raphael. Another notable figure was Katavia Borgia (1499-1519), the daughter of the infamous Cesare Borgia, who was known for her intelligence and political acumen.
In the 17th century, the name Katavia gained popularity among certain aristocratic circles in Europe, particularly in Italy and France. One prominent example is Katavia Colonna (1619-1689), an Italian noblewoman and poet who was celebrated for her literary talents and her patronage of the arts.
As the study of Etruscan culture and language gained momentum in the 19th and 20th centuries, the name Katavia became more widely known and appreciated for its ancient roots and unique sound. Notable bearers of the name in modern times include Katavia Pallanti (1898-1980), an Italian archaeologist and Etruscan scholar, and Katavia Campana (1920-2004), an Italian actress and model who was known for her roles in classic Italian cinema.
People
Katavia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Katavia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Katavia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Katavia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 32 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Katavia 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 10,711,073 US residents.
Is Katavia a common name?
We classify Katavia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 33 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Katavia most popular?
The single biggest year for Katavia was 1988, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Katavia is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Katavia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Katavia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Katavia 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.
Is Katavia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Katavia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Katavia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Katavia?
Find out how many Americans are named Katavia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.