Katherine is a highly popular girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #48 in 1996 with 1,266 recorded births. This places Katherine in the top 1% of ranked UK girls' names for the year. Its actual usage is classified as Popular. The name reached its all-time peak in 1996 with 1,266 births ranking #48. In 1996, approximately 1 in every 234 girls born was named Katherine. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Katherine is a long-established classic usually understood to mean 'pure'. It is elegant, steady, and one of the most enduring formal girls' names in English.
The name spread widely in Christian Europe through saints and royal use, which helped create a large family of related forms in many languages. Its history gives it both familiarity and depth.