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Katherine

Girl name · 2,799 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Katherine: 2,799 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 111 births in 1992.

Katherine, a name that arrived in Scotland via France, ultimately descends from the Greek *Aikaterinē*. Its meaning has been debated for centuries; the most common association links it to *katharos*, meaning "pure," while another theory connects it with the goddess Hecate. The name was cemented in Christendom by Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a 4th-century martyr whose legend made it hugely popular in medieval Europe. One of its most famous modern bearers was actress Katharine Hepburn, whose distinctive spelling became a hallmark of her independent spirit. The name also appears in geography through the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, named for Peter the Great's wife, Empress Catherine I. In Scotland, Katherine often appears in the form Catrìona, while the nickname Kate, especially as personified by the Duchess of Cambridge, continues to give this classic name a contemporary edge.