Catalina
Catalina was the 111th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,456 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 214 places. More babies were named Catalina in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Spanish, Greek
Say it kat-uh-LEE-nuh /ˌkætəˈlinə/
- Rank in 2025
- #111 girls, up 68 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,456girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20252,456 babies
- Total since 1880
- 33,016babies recorded
What does the name Catalina mean?
Catalina is the Spanish form of Katherine, as Wikipedia explains. Katherine comes from Greek Aikaterine, whose origin DMNES calls uncertain; DMNES stresses that it is unrelated to Greek katharos, 'pure', although that link was made later and led to the spelling with h. DMNES describes the 4th-century virgin martyr Saint Catherine as an extremely popular medieval saint, which spread the name across Europe, and lists many queens named Katherine.
Αἰκατερίνη (Ancient Greek, “Aikaterine”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The Greek name Aikaterine is of uncertain origin; the 'pure' meaning is a later association.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'pure' (Greek katharos).
Related names: Katherine, Catherine, Catarina, Caterina, Cata, Lina.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wikipedia, 'Catalina (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Katherine', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Catalina', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Catalina
The usual nicknames for Catalina are Cata and Lina. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Catalina in the last five years, 25 were named Lina, against 72 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cata | Modern | — | — |
| Lina · also for Evelina, Adeline, Alina | Modern | #572 | 2,529 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Catalinas go by each one.
Catalina popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 7 since 1991.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #111 | 2,456 |
| 2020 | #179 | 1,597 |
| 2010 | #688 | 417 |
| 2000 | #763 | 300 |
| 1990 | #943 | 201 |
| 1980 | #1,083 | 130 |
| 1970 | #1,239 | 90 |
| 1960 | #1,563 | 51 |
| 1950 | #1,413 | 42 |
| 1940 | #1,026 | 49 |
| 1930 | #645 | 115 |
| 1920 | #914 | 63 |
| 1910 | #1,346 | 12 |
| 1900 | #1,594 | 7 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Catalina, counting every spelling?
Catalina is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #95 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #111 for Catalina on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,241 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina | 2,456 | #111 | 10,312 |
| Katalina | 720 | #430 | 3,329 |
| Katalyna | 42 | #3,613 | 220 |
| Catalyna | 23 | #5,440 | 98 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Catalina?
2,456 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Catalina (0.68 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Catalina born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Catalina.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Catalina?
About 30,600 people born in the US named Catalina are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 4 and 21. That makes Catalina a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Catalina by state
How common Catalina was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.8×), Texas (2.5×), Nevada (2.3×), California (2.1×), Arizona (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, South Dakota, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Catalina: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Catalina, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Catalina · Sibling names for Catalina
Questions about the name Catalina
What does Catalina mean?
The origin of Catalina is uncertain: the Greek name Aikaterine is of uncertain origin; the 'pure' meaning is a later association.
How popular is the name Catalina?
Catalina was the 111th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,456 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 214 places. More babies were named Catalina in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Catalina a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Catalina in the US.
Where is Catalina most popular?
In 2021–2025, Catalina was most common in New Mexico (3.58 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Nevada.