Katherine is a moderately popular girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #122 in 2005 with 440 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1996 with 1,266 births ranking #48. Since 1996, the popularity has decreased by 65.2%. In 2005, approximately 1 in every 655 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.