Catherine is a distinctive choice, ranked #590 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only Catherine in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#590
US Rank #314
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About the Name Catherine
Catherine has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 178 places in five years. It was most popular in 1996 at #68 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has broken into the UK top 100 on 6 occasions, signalling genuine mainstream interest.
Catherine is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only Catherine in their class.
In the US it ranks even higher at #320, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named Catherine
Catherine Carey — Catherine Carey, after her marriage Catherine Knollys and later known as both Lady Knollys and Dame Catherine Knollys, was chief Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I, who was her first cousin.
Catherine Howard — Catherine Howard was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.
Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues — Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues, Marquise de Verneuil [katʁin ɑ̃ʁjɛt də balzak dɑ̃tʁaɡ maʁkiz də vɛʁnœj] was the favourite mistress of Henry IV of France after Gabrielle d'Estrées died: her sister Marie-Charlotte de Balzac d’Entragues was also a…
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Catherine
Unlikely. With around 66 UK babies named Catherine per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Catherine in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Catherine is declining: down 174 places since 2020, to #590 in 2025. It peaked at #68 in 1996.
Catherine is more popular in the US (#320) than in the UK (#594). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Catherine include: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Catherine Coleman and Catherine Fairweather. Short summaries for each appear below.
Catherine appears in the US top 500 at #320 in 2024 — moderately popular in America, though less so than in the UK.
66
UK babies named Catherine (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 174 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Catherine
Almost certainly the only Catherine in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Catherine
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Catherine Carey, after her marriage Catherine Knollys and later known as both Lady Knollys and Dame Catherine Knollys, was chief Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth I, who was her first cousin.
Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues, Marquise de Verneuil [katʁin ɑ̃ʁjɛt də balzak dɑ̃tʁaɡ maʁkiz də vɛʁnœj] was the favourite mistress of Henry IV of France after Gabrielle d'Estrées died: her sister Marie-Charlotte de Balzac d’Entragues was also a mistress of the king.