Katharine
About Katharine
This is the spelling that old-time film star Katharine Hepburn used, and it's still favored by fans wanting to reference her classic strength and beauty. But in general, it's losing ground to Katherine and even Ms. Hepburn's own favorite short form, Kate.
Pronounced KATH-rin; KATH-uh-reen.
As of October 2026, Katharine ranked #4935 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #172 in 1880.
Editor: Sophie Kihm
Sources: US popularity data is from the Social Security Administration. Meanings and origins are from Nameberry's name references.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,147 | 89 | 49.8 |
| 2015 | #2,145 | 89 | 49.9 |
| 2016 | #2,784 | 62 | 35 |
| 2017 | #2,475 | 73 | 42.3 |
| 2018 | #2,946 | 56 | 32.9 |
| 2019 | #2,638 | 66 | 39.3 |
| 2020 | #3,427 | 45 | 27.8 |
| 2021 | #4,453 | 31 | 18.9 |
| 2022 | #3,677 | 42 | 25.6 |
| 2023 | #4,236 | 34 | 21.2 |
| 2024 | #4,812 | 28 | 17.3 |
| 2025 | #4,935 | 27 | 16.8 |
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Katharine.
- Sonya
- Charlene
- Martina
- Rosanne
- Roxanna
- Angeline
- Anelise
- Luisa
- Annamaria
- Marinette
- Rosemarie
- Carlotta
- Mariam
- Justine
- Candice
- Marily
- Julieta
- Dina
- Arlene
- Maureen
Katharine on lists
Famous Katharines
- Saint Katharine Marie Drexel
American philanthropist & nun
- Katharine Houghton Hepburn
American actress
- Katharine Meyer Graham
American owner of The Washington Post
- Katharine Hope McPhee
American singer and actress
- Katharine Cornell
American actress and theater producer
- Katharine Isabelle (born Katherine Isobel Murray)
actress
- Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley
Duchess of Kent, wife of Britain's Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
- Katharine Juliet Ross
American actress
- Katharine Jefferts Schori
Bishop of Episcopal Church
- Katharine Burr Blodgett
American physicist and inventor
- Katharine Houghton
American actress, niece of Katharine Hepburn
- Katharine Julia "Poppy" Harlow
American CNN anchor
- Katharine Bouchage Weymouth
publisher of The Washington Post
Katharine in pop culture
- Katharine
character in "Half,Magic"
- Katharine "Kittyleen" Garland
character in May's "Kittyleen"
- Katharine Tulman
character in Cameron's "The Dark Unwinding"
- Katharine
character in Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost"
- Katharine
queen in Kendare Blake's trilogy "Three Dark Crowns"
- "Katharine Jaffray"
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"