Girls Names K Through O

Karuna

Sanskrit

"compassion"

A beautiful Hindu name, now potentially marred for its similarity to "corona." Uma Thurman's middle name is Karuna.

Karítas

Icelandic

"love, esteem, charity"

A popular name in its native Iceland, deriving from the Latin Carita or Caritas, meaning "love" or "esteem" – the root of the English word charity.

Kasey

English variation of Casey, Irish

"brave in battle"

Kasey was a modestly popular choice among Millennial babies, particularly girls.

Kashmir

Sanskrit, Southwest Asian place-name

Soft and alluring, much like the similarly named cloth, but might have political implications.

Kasia

Diminutive of Katarzyna, Polish, Greek

"pure; cassia, cinnamon"

An attractive and intriguing choice with an appealing blend of gentle and sharper sounds, Kasia is a diminutive of Katarzyna, the Polish form of Katherine. Ultimately from Greek, it is generally…

Kassandra

Original spelling of Cassandra

Kassandra is actually the original form of Cassandra (Greek names do not have C s), though most will see it as a Kardashianization, which is a shame! As you might expect, the C currently charts…

Kat

English diminutive of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

We're hearing Kat more and more being used by Katherines who are tired of Kathy, Kate and Katie. Katti or Kattie is another possibility.

Katana

Persian or Japanese

"honorable or sword"

Katana is a male name in Old Persian and a well-used word in Japanese, but as a girls' name is these days found more often as Kitana, the name of a princess in the video game Mortal Kombat II.

Katara

Fictional name

"droplet"

A prominent character name from the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender , derived from an Arabic word meaning "(water) droplet" ⁠— Katara belongs to a water tribe.

Kateri

Mohawk variation of Katherine

"pure"

St. Kateri Teckakwitha is the first Native American saint, canonized in 2012. St. Kateri was the daughter of a Mohawk warrior, born in 1656 in upstate New York. She converted to Christianity at age…

Katharina

German variation of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Katharina is an attractive form of Katherine and a great way to update a classic. Popular in Austria and a classic in Germany, it is typically pronounced as ka-ta-REE-na, though kath-uh-REE-nuh or…

Katherin

English variation of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Variation of Katherine.

Kathleen

Anglicized form of Irish Caitlin

"pure"

Kathleen is the early Irish import version that came between Katherine and Kaitlin, and which hasn't been used in so long it's almost beginning to sound fresh again. It was a surprise pick by one of…

Kati

Kati is a feminine name that functions as a diminutive form of Katherine or Katalin, particularly in Hungarian, Finnish, and Estonian cultures. Katherine ultimately derives from the Greek name…

Katinka

Hungarian, Russian, and Dutch diminutive of Katherine or Katarina, Greek

"pure"

With its distinctive '-inka' suffix, common in Slavic and Eastern European diminutives, Katinka carries a playful yet sophisticated quality. The name enjoyed some popularity in the Netherlands and…

Katla

Feminization of Ketil, Norwegian

"kettle; cauldron; helmet"

A Top 10 name in Iceland, where it is also the name of an active volcano.

Katrina

German variation of Katherine

"pure"

The hurricane blew this one out of the realm of possibility.

Katti

Short form of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Katti or Kattie is a short form of Katherine, more old fashioned than Kate and more unusual than Kathy.

Kattie

Short form of Katherine, Greek

"pure"

Kattie or Katti is an unusual short form of Katherine, more old fashioned than Kate and more unusual than Kathy. Plus there's the "catty" issue.

Katy

Short form of Katherine

"pure"

Katy, or more popularly Katie, stood fashionably on their own two feet for several years there, during the Katelyn boom. But now both Katy and Katie are fading in favor of grownup Kate or buttoned-up…