Dictionary

Catherine en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkæθ(ə)ɹɪn/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from French Catherine, from Ancient Greek Αἰκατερίνη (Aikaterínē), *Ἑκατερίνη (*Hekaterínē), of debated meaning, possibly from ἑκάτερος (hekáteros, “each of the two”), or from the name of the goddess Hecate. The apheresis of the first syllable as well as the spelling with ⟨th⟩ in Latin languages, German and English, is due to a folk etymology, dating from Roman times, which associated the name with the Ancient Greek καθαρός (katharós, “pure”). The name belonged to a 4th-century saint and martyr from Alexandria who was tortured on the wheel from where the term Catherine wheel originates.

Meanings

1. A female given name from Ancient Greek.
   • State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, one of the bill’s supporters, said people were not reusing or recycling any plastic bags. 2024 September 22, “California governor signs law banning all plastic shopping bags at grocery stores”, in AP News, archived from the original on 13 Feb 2025:
   • It was named Catherine, but he never called it the name in full, as he had never called the first Catherine short, probably because Heathcliff had a habit of doing so. The little one was always Cathy, it formed to him a distinction from the mother, and yet, a connection with her; 1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:
   • "Is that your given name?" "Not exactly. My father named me Catherine, and my mother nicknamed me Carrie. Nobody calls me Catherine." "Oh, but you're much more a Catherine than a Carrie," observed Peter seriously. "Carrie is simple and mundane; Catherine is complex and beautiful." 1981, Carole Gift Page, Carrie, Bethany House Publishers, published 1994, →ISBN, page 55:
   • "Yes, Catherine sounds like a lovely name. I like it. My new name will be Catherine." She rolled the name Catherine silently again. The name had character a noble ring to it she really liked it. 2003, Michael O. Gregory, The Dead Years, page 35:
   • - - - despite of what you say of my fine name, I think my head is so obstinate and inflexible that the name Catherine was well chosen. It suits my character. I was given the name by the late Empress Elisabeth, to whom I owe much; she gave it to me out of affection and out of respect for her mother 1763 Voltaire and Catherine the Great: Selected Correspondence. Voltaire, Catherine, Antony Lentin.(Translation from French.)Publ. Oriental Research Partners,1973

Forms

Deriveds

Catherine Field · Catherinian · Mount Catherine · Catherine Hill Bay

Relateds

Karen · Cat · Kitty · Kari · Katrine · Kaye · Catarina · Kit · Cathryn · Kath · Cate · Cathy · Cath · Katya · Catie · Trina · Kay · Catriona · Cathi · Kittie · Karin · Kathi · Kate · Katelyn · Kitti · Katerine · Katerina · Kathie · Kathy · Catrina · Katie · Kateryna · Katy · Katey · Katrina · Caitlin · Kaitlyn · Cathie · Kathleen · Kat

Translations (73)

nl Catharijne (female given name) · et Kadri (female given name) · lt Kotryna (female given name) · sh Katarina (female given name) · ru Кэ́трин (female given name) · gl Catuxa (female given name) · el Κατερίνα (female given name) · kl Kaarat (female given name) · et Katariina (female given name) · ar كَاتْرِين (female given name) · ro Ecaterina (female given name) · cmn 加大利納 /加大利纳 (female given name) · vi Catarina (female given name) · ja キャサリン (female given name) · be Кацяры́на (female given name) · sl Katarina (female given name) · mi Kataraina (female given name) · cy Catrin (female given name) · fr Catherine (female given name) · sh Ekaterina (female given name) · bg Катери́на (female given name) · haw Kakalina (female given name) · ja カトリーヌ (female given name) · eo Katarino (female given name) · kl Kattaliit (female given name) · sh Екатерина (female given name) · es Catalina (female given name) · ru Катри́н (female given name) · cs Kateřina (female given name) · sk Katarína (female given name) · hy Կատարինէ (female given name) · no Katarina (female given name) · br Katelin (female given name) · grc Αἰκατερῑ́νη (female given name) · fa کاترین (female given name) · da Katharina (female given name) · frm Katherine (female given name) · lv Katrīna (female given name) · se Káre (female given name) · el Αικατερίνη (female given name) · kl Kaalat (female given name) · uk Катери́на (female given name) · mi Kātarina (female given name) · pcd Cat'leine (female given name) · la Catalina (female given name) · ka ეკატერინე (female given name) · ru Катери́на (female given name) · ga Caitríona (female given name) · pl Katarzyna (female given name) · sv Katarina (female given name) · gl Catarina (female given name) · scn Catarina (female given name) · ro Cătălina (female given name) · is Katrín (female given name) · oc Catarina (female given name) · eu Katalina (female given name) · fi Katariina (female given name) · cmn 凱瑟琳 /凯瑟琳 (female given name) · rsk Катарина (female given name) · mt Katerina (female given name) · bg Екатери́на (female given name) · mt Katarina (female given name) · ca Caterina (female given name) · pt Catarina (female given name) · it Caterina (female given name) · de Katharina (female given name) · sh Катарина (female given name) · la Catherina (female given name) · gd Catrìona (female given name) · el Κάθριν (female given name) · hu Katalin (female given name) · ru Екатери́на (female given name) · ko 캐서린 (female given name)