Kathryn

Kathryn: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “pure”
Origin: Greek
Say it: KATH-rin · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Variant spelling of Katherine/Catherine. The traditional etymology connects it with Greek katharos 'pure,' though the history of the name is complex.

English names Names meaning pure Classic names International names

How popular is Kathryn?

2024118 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Kathryn in 2024391

2024 rank#716 girls

Peak year1951

Total US babies since 1880456,128

Kathryn is fading: recent use is about 41% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kathryn

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Catalinapure · Spanish
Katherinepure · Greek
Catherinepure · Greek
Karenpure · Danish
Katiepure · English
Katepure · Greek
Caitlinpure · Irish
Katerinapure · Greek

Kathryn questions

What does the name Kathryn mean?

Kathryn means "pure". It comes from Greek. Variant spelling of Katherine/Catherine. The traditional etymology connects it with Greek katharos 'pure,' though the history of the name is complex.

Is Kathryn a boy or girl name?

Kathryn is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kathryn?

391 US babies were named Kathryn in 2024. Its peak year was 1951.

How do you pronounce Kathryn?

Kathryn is usually pronounced KATH-rin.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.