Kittye
A feminine name derived from the pet form of Katherine, meaning "pure" or "chaste".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Kittye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kittye today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kittye births was 1934 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kittye. 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
- • The typical person named Kittye is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Kittyes were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kittye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1934
6 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,993
Tracked since 1934
Popularity
Kittye: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kittye 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 Kittye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 12 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kittye
The name Kittye has its origins in the English language, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is a diminutive form of the name Katherine, which itself is derived from the Greek name Aikaterine. The name Aikaterine is believed to have been formed from the combination of the Greek words "katharos" meaning "pure" and "ren" meaning "again."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kittye can be found in the works of the English playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "The Taming of the Shrew," written around 1592, one of the characters is referred to as "Kittye." This suggests that the name was in use during the Elizabethan era.
During the 17th century, the name Kittye appeared in various historical records and documents. One notable bearer of the name was Kittye Calvert, born in 1667, who was the daughter of Charles Calvert, the third Lord Baltimore and the Governor of the British colony of Maryland.
In the 18th century, Kittye Clive, born in 1711, was a celebrated English actress and playwright. She was renowned for her performances in comedic roles and is considered one of the most influential figures in the development of English theatre.
Moving into the 19th century, Kittye Wynne, born in 1838, was an American author and educator. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement and advocated for better educational opportunities for women.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, Kittye Belknap, born in 1902, was an American philanthropist and socialite. She was known for her charitable work and her support of various cultural institutions in New York City.
While the name Kittye may not be as common today, its rich history and connections to notable figures throughout different eras make it a unique and interesting name with a strong heritage in the English language.
People
Kittye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kittye 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
Kittye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kittye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kittye 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Kittye a common name?
We classify Kittye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kittye most popular?
The single biggest year for Kittye was 1934, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kittye is about 85 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 Kittye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kittye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kittye 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 Kittye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kittye 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 Kittye 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 Kittye?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.