Cathryn
Cathryn was the 11135th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked 451st; the most babies were born in 1956 (368). Over the last ten years it has moved down 8,387 places. More babies were named Cathryn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kathryn) variant of Catherine (origin uncertain) · Greek, English
- Rank in 2025
- #11,135 girls, down 5,233 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1956368 babies
- Total since 1880
- 16,332babies recorded
What does the name Cathryn mean?
Cathryn is a spelling of Kathryn, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kathryn's meaning and origin.
Kathryn is an English spelling of Catherine, as Wiktionary notes. Catherine goes back to Greek Aikaterine. DMNES calls its origin uncertain and says it is unrelated to katharos, pure, though that link later shaped the th spelling. Wiktionary lists other proposals, including the goddess Hecate. The 4th-century martyr Catherine of Alexandria became an extremely popular medieval saint, according to DMNES. Kathryn has been used in the US since 1880.
Αἰκατερίνη (Ancient Greek, “Katherine (origin uncertain)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. DMNES: origin uncertain.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'pure' (Greek katharos). DMNES says the names are unrelated..
Related names: Catherine, Katherine, Kate, Katie, Kathy.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kathryn' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Katherine', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Catherine' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Cathryn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,135 | 8 |
| 2020 | #5,902 | 20 |
| 2010 | #2,911 | 59 |
| 2000 | #1,266 | 154 |
| 1990 | #1,111 | 157 |
| 1980 | #1,054 | 135 |
| 1970 | #749 | 197 |
| 1960 | #633 | 255 |
| 1950 | #451 | 320 |
| 1940 | #787 | 81 |
| 1930 | #718 | 94 |
| 1920 | #665 | 118 |
| 1910 | #682 | 39 |
| 1900 | #924 | 17 |
| 1890 | #1,019 | 8 |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Cathryn, counting every spelling?
Cathryn is a spelling of Kathryn, a name family that ranked #663 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11,135 for Cathryn on its own. Together these spellings went to 431 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathryn | 381 | #729 | 2,168 |
| Katharine | 27 | #4,935 | 162 |
| Kathrine | 15 | #7,312 | 84 |
| Cathryn | 8 | #11,135 | 83 |
| Kathryne | — | — | 27 |
| Catharine | — | — | 26 |
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 Cathryn?
8 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Cathryn (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Cathryn 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 1,057 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Cathryn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Cathryn?
About 11,200 people born in the US named Cathryn are alive today, with a median age of 56; half are between 35 and 70. That makes Cathryn a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Cathryn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Cathryn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Cathryn
What does Cathryn mean?
Cathryn is a spelling of Kathryn, usually explained as “variant of Catherine (origin uncertain)”, but this is uncertain. Certainty: uncertain.
How popular is the name Cathryn?
Cathryn was the 11135th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1950, when it ranked 451st; the most babies were born in 1956 (368). Over the last ten years it has moved down 8,387 places. More babies were named Cathryn in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Cathryn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Cathryn in the US.