Katherine
Look up Katherine or Catherine in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
Katherine | |
---|---|
Catherine of Alexandria, by Carlo Crivelli. The name Catherine became famous in Christian communities because of this early saint | |
Gender | Female |
Origin | |
Word/name | Greek |
Other names | |
Nickname(s) | Kate, Kath, Cath, Cate, Cat, Kathy, Kathie, Kathi, Katey, Katy, Kay, Kat, Katya, Katyusha, Katie, Kati, Kit, Kitty, Kasia, Cathy |
Related names | Katheryn, Kathryne, Kathryn, Katharyn, Katherin, Catharine, Cathryn, Katheryne, Catherine, Katharine, Katharina, Ketherane, Katerine, Katrine, Katrina, Katrin, Karina, Kathrin, Katarina, Katerina, Ekaterina, Yekaterina, Aikaterine |
Katherine, Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
Origin and meaning
The name originated from the Greek Αἰκατερίνα or Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterina, Aikaterinē), which is of uncertain etymology. The earliest known use of the Greek name is in reference to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The theory that the name comes from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of magic, is regarded by the editors of the Oxford Dictionary of First Names as unconvincing.[1]
In the early Christian era it came to be associated with the Greek adjective καθαρός (katharos), meaning "pure", leading to the alternative spellings Katharine and Katherine. The former spelling, with a middle a, was more common in the past and is currently more popular in the United States than in Britain. Katherine, with a middle e, was first recorded in England in 1196 after being brought back from the Crusades.[2]
Another potential origin of the name is the Armenian word Կատար katar meaning peak or summit. In Armenian, the equivalent name is Կատարինէ Katarine; coincidentally the ending ինէ ine is homophonous with the modern Greek verb ειναι 'she is', suggesting a macaronic phrase meaning "she is the summit".
Popularity and variations
English
In Britain and the U.S., Catherine and its variants have been among the 100 most popular names since 1880. The most common variants are Katherine, Kathryn, and Katharine. The spelling Catherine is common in both English and French. Less common variants in English include Katheryn, Katharyn, Kathryne, Katherin, Kathrine, Catharine and Cathryn.[3][4][5][6]
Kathleen or Cathleen, an Anglicized form of the Irish form Caitlín, has become established in the US among people with no Irish background, but is less popular in England and Wales.
The form Karen, of Danish origin, is now often considered an independent name in English.
Diminutives include Katie, Katy, Kate, Kathy, Kathe, Kath, Kay, Kat, Katya, Katyusha, Kitty, Kit, Kasia and others.
Other languages
- Αικατερίνη (Ekaterini, Aikaterini) (Greek)[2]
- Akaterina (Turkish)
- Cadi (Welsh)
- Cáit (Irish)
- Caitlín (Irish)[2]
- Caitlin (English)[2]
- Caitlyn (English)
- Caitria (Irish)
- Caitrín (Irish)
- Caitrina (Irish)
- Caitríona (Irish)
- Caja (Danish)
- Cajsa (Swedish)
- Caren (English)
- Carin (English)
- Carina (Portuguese)
- Carine (French; spelled Karien in Afrikaans)
- Caryn (English)
- Cat (English)
- Cát Linh (Vietnamese)
- Cătălina (Romanian)
- Catalina (Italian,[7] Spanish)
- Catant (French)
- Catarina (Galician, Italian,[2][7] Portuguese, Spanish, Neapolitan)
- Cate (English)
- Cateline (Old French)[2]
- Cateliña (Galician)
- Caterina (Catalan, Italian)[7]
- Caterine (Old French)[2]
- Cathanne (English, French)
- Cathareau (French)
- Catharina (Dutch, Swedish)
- Catharine (English)
- Catherin (English)
- Catherina (Spanish)
- Catherine (English, French)
- Catherne (17th century English)[2]
- Cathey (Nordic)
- Cathie (English)
- Cathleen (English, Hiberno-English)[2]
- Cathrin (German)
- Cathrine (Scandinavian)
- Cathryn (English)
- Cathy (English)[2]
- Cati (Italian)[7]
- Catia (Italian)[7]
- Cátia (Portuguese)
- Catie (English)
- Catina (Romanian)
- Catinca (Romanian)
- Catja (Danish)
- Catlin (Middle English)[2]
- Cato (Dutch)
- Catraoine (Irish)
- Catreena (Manx)
- Catreeney (Manx)
- Catrin (German, Welsh)
- Catrine (Swedish)
- Catrinel (Romanian)
- Catrina (Romanian)
- Catrìona (Scottish Gaelic)[2]
- Catterina (Italian)[7]
- Catuxa (Galician)
- Caty (Italian)[7]
- Ecaterina (Romanian)
- ეკა Eka (Georgian)
- Екатерина Ekaterina (Bulgarian, Macedonian)
- Екатерина Ekaterina, Jekaterina, Yekaterina (Russian;[2])
- Ekaterina (Latvian)
- ეკატერინე Ekaterine (Georgian)
- Գադարա Gadara (Armenian)
- Կատարինէ Gadarine (Armenian)
- Gáhteriinná Sami
- Gáre Sami
- Gáren Sami
- Jekaterina (Lithuanian)
- Kaarat Greenlandic
- Kaarin (Estonian)
- Kaarina (Finnish)
- Kaatje (Dutch)
- Kaća (Serbian)
- Кацярына / Kaciaryna (Belarusian)
- Կատարա Kadara (Armenian)
- Կատարինէ Kadarine (Armenian)
- Kadi (Estonian)
- Kadri (Estonian)
- Kaety (English)
- Káhtariinná Sami
- Kai (Estonian, Swedish)
- Kaia (Estonian, Norwegian)
- Kaie (Estonian)
- Kaija (Finnish)
- Kaila (English)
- Kaili (Estonian)
- Kailie (English, French)
- Kailani (Hawaiian)
- Καιλαύρα / كلارا / Kelavra (Greek, Hawaiian, Arabic, German)
- Kailua (Hawaiian)
- Καινά / كائنا / Kena (English, Greek, Arabic)
- Καίρα / كيرا / Kera (Greek, Arabic)
- Καίρη / كيري/カイリ / Keri (Greek, Arabic, Japanese, Hawaiian)
- Καίρια (Keria) (Greek, Arabic)
- Kairi (Estonian, Greek, Japanese)
- Kaisa (Estonian, Finnish)
- Kaisu (Finnish)
- Kait (English)
- Kaitlan (English)
- Kaitlin (English)
- Kaitlyn (English)
- Kaitrin (German, Swedish)
- Kaitrina (Dutch, English, German, Swedish)
- Kaity (English)
- Kaj (Swedish, male)
- Kaja (Scandinavian, Estonian, Polish)
- Kajsa (Swedish)
- Kakalina (Hawaiian)
- Kalena (Hawaiian)
- Kalina (Hawaiian)
- Kalitarina (Albanian)
- Kalitrina (Albanian)
- Kaltarina (Albanian)
- Kaltrina (Albanian)
- Κάρα (Kara) (English, Greek, Japanese)
- Káre (Sami)
- Káren (Sami)
- Karen (Danish,[2] English,[2] German, Norwegian, Dutch)
- Karena (English)
- Karenina (English, Scandinavian, Russian)
- Kari (Norwegian)
- Karia (Norwegian)
- Kariinná (Sami)
- Karin (Afrikaans, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, German, Swedish)
- Karina (Afrikaans, German, Polish, Russian)
- Կարինե / Karine (Armenian, French)
- Karyn (English)
- Karyna (English)
- 笠利 Kasari (Japanese)
- Kasia (Polish)
- Kat (English)
- Kata (Croatian, Finnish, Hungarian)
- Katalin (Basque, Hungarian)
- Katalina (Basque, Esperanto, Hungarian)
- Katariina (Estonian, Finnish)
- Katarin (Basque, Breton)
- Katarína (Slovak)
- Katarina (Croatian, Esperanto, German, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Serbian, Slovene, Swedish)
- Katarine (German)
- Katarino (Esperanto)
- Katarzyna (Polish)
- Kate (Croatian, English)[2]
- Kate (English)
- Katen (Dutch)
- Katelijn (Dutch)
- Katelijne (Dutch)
- Καίτη (Keti) (Greek)
- Καίτυ (Kety) (Greek)
- Katia (Italian)[7]
- Κάτια (Katia) (Greek)
- Katya (Russian), (Bulgarian), (Ukrainian),
- Katelin (English)
- Kateline (Middle English)[2]
- Katell (Breton)
- Katelyn (English)
- Katelynn (English)
- Katelynne (English)
- Katenka (Russian)
- Kateri (Mohawk)
- Katerien (Afrikaans), (Dutch)
- Kateřina (Czech)
- Κατερίνα/Katerina (Albanian, Bulgarian, Greek, Latin,[2] Macedonian, Russian, Ukrainian)
- Katerine (Middle English)[2]
- Katerino (Esperanto)
- Kateřinka (Czech)
- Kateryna (Ukrainian)
- Katerynka (Ukrainian)
- Καθαλαύρα/Kathalavra (Greek, German)
- Καθάνδρα (Kathandra) (Greek)
- Καθανδρέα (Kathandrea) (Greek)
- Kathani (Hindi, Arabic)
- Kathanna (English, German)
- Kathanne (English, French)
- Kathareau (French)
- Katharina (German, Latin[2])
- Katharine (English),[2] (German)
- Καθαρσία (Katharsia) (Greek)
- Käthe (German)
- Kathelijne (Dutch)
- Katherina (English, German)
- Katherne (17th century English)[2]
- Katheryn (English)
- Katheryne (English)
- Kathey (Gaelic)
- Kathi (English)
- Kathie (English)
- Kathianna (English)
- Kathianne (English)
- Kathlaura (English, German)
- Kathlauren (English, German)
- Kathlaurie (English, French, German)
- Kathleanna (English, German)
- Kathleanne (English, French)
- Kathleen (English,[2] Hiberno-English[2])
- Kathlyn (English)
- Kathreena (Malayalam)
- Kathrina (German)
- Kathrin (German)
- Kathri (Malayalam)
- Kathryn (English)
- Kathy (English)
- Kati (Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian)
- Катя Katya, Katia, Katja (Russian, Ukrainian)
- Katica (Croatian, Czech, Serbian, Slovene, Hungarian)
- Katie (English)[2]
- Katika (Danish)
- Κατίνα (Katina) (Greek)
- Κatina, Katinja (Esperanto)
- Katinka (Afrikaans, German, Hungarian, Russian)[2]
- Katja (Croatian, Dutch, Finnish, German, Russian, Slovene, Ukrainian)
- Katka (Czech, Russian)
- Katlyn (English)
- Kätlin (Estonian)
- კატო Kato (Georgian)
- Kató (Hungarian)
- Katóka (Hungarian)
- Katre (Estonian)
- Katri (Finnish)
- Katrian (Afrikaans, Dutch, Flemish Dutch)
- Katriana (Portuguese, Spanish)
- Katrianna (Danish, Dutch, English, German, Norwegian, Swedish)
- Katrianne (English, French)
- Katrien (Afrikaans, Dutch, Flemish Dutch)
- Katriin (Estonian)
- Katriina (Finnish)
- Katarina (Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene, Swedish, Turkish)
- Katrijn (Dutch, spelled 'Katryn' in Afrikaans and German, see below)
- Katrin (Estonian, German, Swedish)
- Katrina (Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish)
- Katrīna (Latvian)
- Katrine (Dutch, French, Gaelic,[2] Scandinavian)
- Katrinka (Dutch, German, Russian)
- Katushka (Russian)
- Katrusia (Ukrainian)
- Katuška (Czech)
- Katriona (English)
- Katryn (Afrikaans, German)
- Katy (English)
- Kay (English)[2]
- Kaye (English)
- Kerry (Hiberno-English)[2]
- ქეთა Keta (Georgian)
- ქეთევან Ketevan (Georgian)
- ქეთი Keti (Georgian)
- ქეთო Keto (Georgian)
- Ketlen
- Ketlin (Estonian)
- Ketrina (Albanian)
- Kitty (English)[2]
- Koto (Hungarian)
- Kotryna (Lithuanian)
- Кася / Kasia (Belarusian)
- Kasia (Polish)
- Kaśka (Polish)
- Kasieńka (Polish)
- Kyla (English)
- Kylie (English, French)
- Nienke (Dutch)
- Nynke (Frisian)
- Qatherine (French)
- Quatherine (French)
- Reina (Japanese, Yiddish)
- Riin (Estonian)
- Riina (Estonian, Finnish)
- Rina (Croatian)
- Triin (Estonian)
- Triinu (Estonian)
- Trijn (Dutch)
- Trijntje (Dutch)
- Trina (German)
- Trinchen (German)
- Trine (Danish, German)
- Trīne (Latvian)
- Trinette (French)
- Tríona (Irish Gaelic)
See also
- Catherina
- All pages beginning with Catherine
- All pages beginning with Katharine
- All pages beginning with Katherine
- All pages beginning with Kathrine
- All pages beginning with Katie
- St. Catherine (disambiguation)
- Ecaterina
- Karen (name), usually a feminine given name, derived from the Danish short form of Katherine
- Catriona
References
- ↑ Patrick Hanks and Kate Hardcastle, eds., Oxford Dictionary of First Names, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006), 154.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Withycombe, E. G. (1976). The Concise Dictionary of English Christian Names (3rd ed.). London: Omega Books. ISBN 1-85007-059-8.
- ↑ United States Social Security Administration. "Top Names Over the Last 100 Years". United States. Retrieved 3 November 2012. refers to 1912-2011: the order is Kathleen (rank 33), Catharine (rank 40), Katharine (42), Kathryn (72)
- ↑ United States Social Security Administration. "Popular Baby Names". Retrieved 3 November 2012. , for 2011 the order is Katherine (61), Catherine (161), Kathryn (237), Kathleen (632).
- ↑ UK government Office for National Statistics. "Baby Names in England and Wales, 2011". Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ↑ UK government Office for National Statistics. "Baby Names, England and Wales, 1904-1994". Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 De Felice, Emidio (1995) [1986]. Dizionario dei nomi italiani (in Italian) (3 ed.). Milan: Mondadori.
put Catie as a nickname