Meaning not yet researched.
Katherine: US girls given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 1,670 in 2025. Its best rank was #25 in 1991.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #25 in 1991; #186 in 2025. Every baby recorded as Katherine in 2025 was a girl.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#186 for US girls in 2025. Its best year was 1991, at #25.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
Katherine: US girls given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 1,670 girls in 2025. Peak: #25 in 1991 · most girls in one year: 11,625 (1990).
In 2025, 1,670 US girls were named Katherine, making it the 186th most common girls’ name of the year, down 11 places from #175 in 2024. That is 76 fewer than the 1,746 girls named Katherine in 2024. Its best rank for girls was #25, reached in 1991. The most girls given the name in a single year was 11,625, in 1990. For comparison, it was #84 in 2015 and #58 in 1950.
Social Security card records list Katherine in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 507 babies with the name. In all, 652,750 US babies have been given the name, 99.7% of them girls and 0.3% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1980s, with 99,625 babies named Katherine.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 21,939 US girls were named Katherine; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 3,276. In 2025 that was about 1 in 962 of the girls in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, Katherine ranked highest in Alabama in 2025, at #79 for girls there. It was in the top 100 in 3 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Karen (990,774 babies since 1880), Catherine (669,611 babies since 1880), Kathryn (456,515 babies since 1880) and Kathy (334,870 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Katherina, Katheren and Katharin are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Cassie, Cathy, Kate, Kathy, Katie and Katy.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in English. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Katherina (1,683), Katheren (124), Katharin (82), Kat (45), Katharyne (38), Katheran (15), Katerinne (11), Katherynn (5).
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0).
US girls. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five girls got the name, so 10 are not listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 51 | #79 | #77 |
| District of Columbia | 9 | #83 | #24 |
| South Carolina | 44 | #96 | #86 |
| Mississippi | 21 | #110 | #93 |
| North Carolina | 81 | #124 | #71 |
| Kentucky | 35 | #126 | #81 |
| Texas | 229 | #139 | #63 |
| Tennessee | 52 | #144 | #78 |
| Louisiana | 29 | #145 | #95 |
| Kansas | 22 | #152 | #96 |
| Virginia | 51 | #155 | #46 |
| Massachusetts | 36 | #156 | #69 |
| Oklahoma | 24 | #160 | #122 |
| Connecticut | 19 | #169 | #76 |
| Georgia | 59 | #171 | #74 |
| Florida | 101 | #172 | #93 |
| Arkansas | 18 | #173 | #79 |
| Nebraska | 13 | #176 | #144 |
| Washington | 41 | #182 | #99 |
| Missouri | 34 | #182 | #100 |
| Ohio | 59 | #187 | #143 |
| Illinois | 54 | #189 | #98 |
| Indiana | 36 | #196 | #100 |
| New Mexico | 8 | #198 | #177 |
| Delaware | 5 | #198 | #104 |
| Utah | 23 | #204 | #107 |
| California | 160 | #207 | #75 |
| New Jersey | 38 | #216 | #98 |
| New York | 77 | #225 | #74 |
| Maryland | 22 | #238 | #47 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | #254 | #205 |
| Arizona | 28 | #258 | #184 |
| Pennsylvania | 43 | #258 | #122 |
| Wisconsin | 19 | #284 | #147 |
| Colorado | 22 | #286 | #110 |
| Minnesota | 19 | #295 | #101 |
| Michigan | 30 | #297 | #131 |
| Nevada | 9 | #311 | #128 |
| Iowa | 9 | #365 | #115 |
| Idaho | 5 | #445 | #136 |
| Oregon | 5 | #682 | #136 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,670 | #186 | — | — |
| 2024 | 1,746 | #175 | — | — |
| 2023 | 1,705 | #170 | — | — |
| 2022 | 1,742 | #166 | — | — |
| 2021 | 1,821 | #157 | — | — |
| 2020 | 1,991 | #136 | — | — |
| 2019 | 2,450 | #120 | — | — |
| 2018 | 2,677 | #112 | — | — |
| 2017 | 2,861 | #105 | — | — |
| 2016 | 3,276 | #91 | — | — |
| 2015 | 3,454 | #84 | 9 | #8,387 |
| 2014 | 3,691 | #82 | 7 | #10,198 |
| 2013 | 3,723 | #77 | — | — |
| 2012 | 3,953 | #64 | — | — |
| 2011 | 4,189 | #61 | 5 | #13,352 |
| 2010 | 3,870 | #70 | — | — |
| 2009 | 4,432 | #60 | 5 | #13,504 |
| 2008 | 5,350 | #45 | 6 | #11,840 |
| 2007 | 5,818 | #39 | 7 | #10,349 |
| 2006 | 6,295 | #37 | 6 | #11,360 |
| 2005 | 6,392 | #36 | 14 | #5,737 |
| 2004 | 6,742 | #35 | 32 | #3,115 |
| 2003 | 7,126 | #35 | 10 | #6,995 |
| 2002 | 7,212 | #36 | 12 | #5,906 |
| 2001 | 7,880 | #35 | 14 | #5,281 |
| 2000 | 8,109 | #33 | 13 | #5,447 |
| 1999 | 7,935 | #36 | 7 | #8,304 |
| 1998 | 8,207 | #33 | 13 | #5,033 |
| 1997 | 8,518 | #32 | 11 | #5,481 |
| 1996 | 8,877 | #31 | 14 | #4,507 |
| 1995 | 8,987 | #30 | 13 | #4,659 |
| 1994 | 9,586 | #30 | 19 | #3,527 |
| 1993 | 10,506 | #29 | 19 | #3,440 |
| 1992 | 11,149 | #27 | 20 | #3,283 |
| 1991 | 11,495 | #25 | 20 | #3,173 |
| 1990 | 11,625 | #26 | 32 | #2,238 |
| 1989 | 11,415 | #26 | 94 | #1,086 |
| 1988 | 11,154 | #27 | 42 | #1,690 |
| 1987 | 10,438 | #28 | 44 | #1,595 |
| 1986 | 10,570 | #28 | 44 | #1,523 |
| 1985 | 10,128 | #32 | 39 | #1,631 |
| 1984 | 10,157 | #30 | 48 | #1,374 |
| 1983 | 9,684 | #34 | 33 | #1,731 |
| 1982 | 9,179 | #36 | 45 | #1,430 |
| 1981 | 8,433 | #39 | 31 | #1,834 |
| 1980 | 8,017 | #35 | 30 | #1,889 |
| 1979 | 7,464 | #36 | 36 | #1,613 |
| 1978 | 6,625 | #38 | 26 | #1,944 |
| 1977 | 6,030 | #44 | 20 | #2,315 |
| 1976 | 5,051 | #57 | 16 | #2,659 |
| 1975 | 4,851 | #58 | 18 | #2,402 |
| 1974 | 4,530 | #62 | 17 | #2,406 |
| 1973 | 4,420 | #64 | 12 | #2,938 |
| 1972 | 4,514 | #69 | 12 | #2,910 |
| 1971 | 5,120 | #67 | 30 | #1,617 |
| 1970 | 5,443 | #67 | 16 | #2,352 |
| 1969 | 5,167 | #70 | 16 | #2,184 |
| 1968 | 4,716 | #75 | 11 | #2,666 |
| 1967 | 4,560 | #76 | 14 | #2,207 |
| 1966 | 4,492 | #78 | 18 | #1,853 |
| 1965 | 4,706 | #79 | 10 | #2,696 |
| 1964 | 5,074 | #82 | 17 | #2,017 |
| 1963 | 5,124 | #87 | 18 | #1,929 |
| 1962 | 5,272 | #84 | 9 | #2,948 |
| 1961 | 5,632 | #86 | 19 | #1,915 |
| 1960 | 5,876 | #81 | 24 | #1,670 |
| 1959 | 6,139 | #79 | 14 | #2,252 |
| 1958 | 6,433 | #74 | 17 | #1,988 |
| 1957 | 6,637 | #72 | 17 | #1,990 |
| 1956 | 7,082 | #67 | 21 | #1,746 |
| 1955 | 7,239 | #65 | 15 | #2,094 |
| 1954 | 6,740 | #64 | 16 | #2,002 |
| 1953 | 6,559 | #63 | 13 | #2,236 |
| 1952 | 6,891 | #59 | 17 | #1,904 |
| 1951 | 6,930 | #55 | 8 | #2,953 |
| 1950 | 6,205 | #58 | 9 | #2,673 |
| 1949 | 6,039 | #59 | 19 | #1,732 |
| 1948 | 5,169 | #68 | 10 | #2,526 |
| 1947 | 4,884 | #76 | 19 | #1,759 |
| 1946 | 4,197 | #78 | 5 | #3,776 |
| 1945 | 3,393 | #82 | 12 | #2,065 |
| 1944 | 3,525 | #77 | 13 | #2,040 |
| 1943 | 3,616 | #78 | 14 | #2,032 |
| 1942 | 3,376 | #81 | 13 | #2,097 |
| 1941 | 3,004 | #85 | 15 | #1,857 |
| 1940 | 2,709 | #92 | 10 | #2,404 |
| 1939 | 2,476 | #101 | 13 | #2,009 |
| 1938 | 2,575 | #105 | 7 | #3,024 |
| 1937 | 2,484 | #103 | 14 | #1,953 |
| 1936 | 2,355 | #100 | 13 | #2,014 |
| 1935 | 2,340 | #103 | 14 | #1,987 |
| 1934 | 2,388 | #101 | 15 | #1,892 |
| 1933 | 2,330 | #100 | 14 | #1,962 |
| 1932 | 2,588 | #95 | 14 | #2,052 |
| 1931 | 2,624 | #92 | 13 | #2,159 |
| 1930 | 3,033 | #85 | 22 | #1,583 |
| 1929 | 3,016 | #84 | 13 | #2,261 |
| 1928 | 3,398 | #75 | 19 | #1,797 |
| 1927 | 3,724 | #73 | 18 | #1,918 |
| 1926 | 3,834 | #72 | 19 | #1,822 |
| 1925 | 4,240 | #61 | 13 | #2,372 |
| 1924 | 4,695 | #59 | 18 | #1,935 |
| 1923 | 4,579 | #60 | 24 | #1,572 |
| 1922 | 4,827 | #54 | 13 | #2,413 |
| 1921 | 5,156 | #49 | 12 | #2,559 |
| 1920 | 5,276 | #45 | 17 | #2,005 |
| 1919 | 4,846 | #51 | 11 | #2,593 |
| 1918 | 5,191 | #50 | 12 | #2,465 |
| 1917 | 4,956 | #49 | 14 | #2,136 |
| 1916 | 4,801 | #51 | 13 | #2,207 |
| 1915 | 4,488 | #49 | 8 | #2,954 |
| 1914 | 3,652 | #48 | 8 | #2,540 |
| 1913 | 2,794 | #54 | 10 | #1,879 |
| 1912 | 2,546 | #53 | — | — |
| 1911 | 1,858 | #55 | 5 | #1,879 |
| 1910 | 1,752 | #57 | — | — |
| 1909 | 1,557 | #53 | 8 | #1,122 |
| 1908 | 1,430 | #55 | — | — |
| 1907 | 1,413 | #55 | 5 | #1,453 |
| 1906 | 1,277 | #56 | — | — |
| 1905 | 1,190 | #64 | — | — |
| 1904 | 1,128 | #63 | 11 | #743 |
| 1903 | 1,015 | #66 | 5 | #1,215 |
| 1902 | 1,004 | #68 | 5 | #1,229 |
| 1901 | 890 | #71 | — | — |
| 1900 | 1,201 | #65 | — | — |
| 1899 | 942 | #65 | — | — |
| 1898 | 914 | #69 | — | — |
| 1897 | 962 | #65 | — | — |
| 1896 | 1,047 | #61 | — | — |
| 1895 | 968 | #65 | — | — |
| 1894 | 948 | #64 | — | — |
| 1893 | 963 | #62 | — | — |
| 1892 | 961 | #60 | — | — |
| 1891 | 803 | #62 | 5 | #1,047 |
| 1890 | 900 | #59 | — | — |
| 1889 | 889 | #56 | — | — |
| 1888 | 893 | #56 | — | — |
| 1887 | 794 | #53 | — | — |
| 1886 | 744 | #54 | — | — |
| 1885 | 751 | #50 | — | — |
| 1884 | 671 | #55 | — | — |
| 1883 | 583 | #56 | — | — |
| 1882 | 591 | #52 | — | — |
| 1881 | 504 | #52 | — | — |
| 1880 | 502 | #53 | 5 | #994 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).