Catherine is a distinctive choice, ranked #594 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Catherine in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#594
US Rank #320
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 distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #320, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
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 her class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Catherine has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 178 places in the last five years. Its peak was #68 in 1996. Choosing it now means she is likely to be among the last of her generation with this name.
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, Princess of Wales, is a member of the British royal family.; Catherine Coleman — Catherine Grace "Cady" Coleman is an American chemist, engineer, former United States Air Force colonel, and retired NASA astronaut.; Catherine Fairweather — Catherine Fairweather McCullin is a British journalist, editor, and podcaster..
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 (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↓ 178 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
Likely around 1 other Catherine in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
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 Howard was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second wife of Henry VIII), and the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.
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. She was the daughter of Charles Balzac d'Entragues and his wife Marie Touchet, who was formerly the sole mistress of Charles IX of France.
Catherine II, commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after a coup d'etat against her husband, Peter III.
Catherine of Aragon was Queen of England as the first wife of Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until its annulment on 23 May 1533. She had previously been Princess of Wales as the wife of Henry's elder brother Arthur, Prince of Wales for a short time before his death.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne.
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II. She was the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III, and a cousin to Pope Clement VII.
Catherine Grace "Cady" Coleman is an American chemist, engineer, former United States Air Force colonel, and retired NASA astronaut. She is a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, and departed the International Space Station on May 23, 2011, as a crew member of Expedition 27 after logging 159 days in space.
Catherine Fairweather McCullin is a British journalist, editor, and podcaster. Fairweather contributes to Financial Times, Air Mail, Condé Nast Traveller, where she is a contributing editor, The Daily Telegraph, and Harper's Bazaar.