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Cathryn

girl name
Origin
Greek
Syllables
2
Peak era
1910s/2010s
Today
▬ Steady

Meaning

variant spelling of Katherine, traditionally 'pure'

The story

Read the story of Katherine →

More names with stories →

Cathryn around the world

One shared root links 26 names across 8 languages.

Shared root: from Greek Aikaterine, linked since early Christian times to katharos "pure", though the name's true origin predates that folk etymology

The constellation

CathrynEnglish · variantKatherineEnglishCatherineFrenchKathleenIrishCaitlinIrishKatrinaGermanCatarinaPortugueseCaterinaItalian
18 more branches of this family
KatharineEnglish · variantKathrynEnglish · variantKathrineEnglish · variantKatherynEnglish · variantCathleenIrish · variantCaitlynEnglish · variantKaitlynEnglish · variantKatelynEnglish · variantKatelynnEnglish · variantKarenDanish · short formKarinScandinavian · short formKarinaScandinavian · related formKateEnglish · short formKatieEnglish · short formKatyEnglish · short formKathyEnglish · short formKayEnglish · short formKittyEnglish · diminutive

Popularity, 1890–2024

peak 1910s2020s

Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Cathryn peaked in the 1910s and the 2010s in nearly equal measure.

When you meet Cathryn

People given the name Cathryn in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1950 to 1999. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.

Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.

Names that fit alongside Cathryn

Helen Evelyn Margaret Roslyn Theda Aileen

The Cathryn deep dive

Written for you · $1.99 →

Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Cathryn truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Cathryn fits with your family’s names and surname.

Both reports, explained →

Does Cathryn fit YOUR family?

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