Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.[
]
In the early Christian era it came to be associated with the Greek adjective καθαρός (katharos), meaning 'pure'. This influenced the name's English spelling, giving rise to variants Katharine and Catharine. The spelling with a middle 'a' was more common in the past. Katherine, with a middle 'e', was first recorded in England in 1196 after being brought back from the Crusades.
Popularity and variations
Anglophone use
In Britain and America, Catherine and its variants have been among the 100 most popular names since 1880. Amongst the most common variants are Katherine and Kathryn. The spelling Catherine is common in both English and French language. Less-common variants in English include Katharine, Catharine, Cathryn, Katheryn, Katharyn, Kathryne, Katheryne, Katherin, and Kathrine.[Historical popularity statistics for United States
]
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For names given to girls 1912–2011, ranking positions were: Kathleen (33rd), Catherine (40th), Katherine (42nd), Kathryn (72nd).
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For the 100 years 1922–2021, ranking of the same names were: Kathleen (31st), Katherine (42nd), Catherine (48th), Kathryn (76th).
The spelling variants Katharine and Catharine (with a middle 'a') did not appear in the top 100 for the time period 1912–2021.[Recent (21st century) popularity statistics for United States―name variant with (rank) shown in brackets:
, the variant spelling Katharine (with a middle 'a') has not appeared in the top 1000 most popular girls' names since 2006, in which year it ranked 905th most-given girls' name, the count being 293 registrations; while Catharine is not present in the top one-thousand list after 1996, when it ranked 983 with a count of 109 registrations.][Popularity statistics for England and Wales for years 2001, 2011, and 2021―name variant with (rank) shown in brackets:
]
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The last appearance of Katharine in the top 1000 was in 2008 at a rank of 817th and a count . There is no record of the spelling Catharine appearing in the top 100 girls' names in England and Wales.
Diminutives include: Katie, Katy, Kate, Kathy, Kathe, Kath, Kay, Kat, Katja or Katya, Kota, Katyusha, Katrya, Kitty, Kit, Kasia; many of these are also sometimes given as independent names.[
]
Kathleen or Cathleen, Anglicized forms of the Irish Caitlín, have become established in the US among people with no Irish background, but is less popular in England and Wales. The form Karen, of Danish origin, is now often considered an independent name in English.[
]
Language variants
The following is a list of various forms of the name Katherine, all ultimately associated with a common Greek-language origin of uncertain meaning but influenced by the , 'pure'. These forms are in use as a given name in the language noted, or were formerly. The list includes short or pet forms (), associated with Katherine or one of its variants:
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Αἰκατερίνη (Ancient Greek)
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Aikaterine (Old French)
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Cadi (Welsh language)
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Cáit (Irish language)
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Caitlín (Irish language)
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Caitlyn or Caitlin (English language)
[
]
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Caitria (Irish language)
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Caitrín (Irish language)
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Caitríona (Irish language)
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Caja (Danish language)
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Catherine, Katarina, Katherine, Katerina (Indonesian)
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Cajsa (Swedish language)
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Caren (Welsh language)
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Carin (English language)
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Carina (Portuguese)
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Carine (French language; Karien in Afrikaans)
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Caryn (English language)
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Cat (English language)
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Cát Linh (Vietnamese)
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Cătălina (Romanian)
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Catalina (Italian language,
Spanish language)
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Catant (French language)
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Catarina (Galician, Italian language,
Portuguese, Spanish language, Neapolitan)
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Cate (English language)
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Cateline (Old French)
[
]
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Cathelijne (Dutch language)
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Cateliña (Galician)
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Caterina (Catalan language, Italian language, Romanian)
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Caterine (Old French)
[
]
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Cathanne (English language, French language)
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Cathareau (French language)
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Catharina (Dutch language, Swedish language)
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Catharine (English language)
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Catherin (English language)
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Catherina (Spanish language)
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Catherine (English language, French language)
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Catherne (17th century English)
[
]
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Cathey (Nordic)
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Cathie (English language)
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Cathleen (English language, Irish English)
[
]
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Cathrin (German language)
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Cathrine (Scandinavian)
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Cathryn (English language)
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Cathy (English language)
[
]
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Cati (Italian language)
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Catia (Italian language)
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Cátia (Portuguese)
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Catie (English language)
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Catina (Romanian)
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Catinca (Romanian)
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Catja (Danish language)
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Catlin (Middle English)
[
]
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Cato (Dutch language)
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Catraoine (Irish language)
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Catreena (Manx language)
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Catreeney (Manx language)
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Catrien (Dutch language)
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Catrin (German language, Welsh language)
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Catrina (Romanian)
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Catrine (Swedish language)
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Catrinel (Romanian)
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Catrìona (Scottish Gaelic)
[
]
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Catterina (Italian language)
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Catuxa (Galician)
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Caty (Italian language)
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Ecaterina (Romanian)
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: ეკა
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Ekaterina: Екатерина (Bulgarian, Macedonian)
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, or :
[
]
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Ekaterina (Latvian language)
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: ეკატერინე
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: 嘉芙蓮 (Hong Kong Cantonese)
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: ()
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: ()
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Gáhteriinná (Sami languages)
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Gáre (Sami languages)
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Gáren (Sami languages)
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Jekaterina (Estonian)
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Kaarat (Greenlandic)
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Kaarin (Estonian)
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Kaarina (Finnish language)
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Kaatje (Dutch language)
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Kaća (Serbian language)
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: ()
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Kadara: ()
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Kadarine: ()
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Kadi (Estonian)
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Kadri (Estonian)
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Kaety (English language)
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Káhtariinná (Sami languages)
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Kai (Estonian, Swedish language)
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Kaia (Estonian, Norwegian)
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Kaie (Estonian)
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Kaight (English language)
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Kaija (Finnish language)
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Kaila (English language)
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Kailan (English language)
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Kailani (Hawaiian)
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Kaili (Estonian)
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Kailie (English language, French language)
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Kailua (Hawaiian)
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: , . (Also German language)
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Kena: , . (Also English)
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Kera: ;
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Keri, Kerry: ; ; . (Also Hawaiian)
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: . (Also Arabic language)
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Kairi or Kairia (Arabic language, Estonian, Greek language, Japanese)
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Kaisa (Estonian, Finnish language)
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Kai Sa Lin: 凱薩琳 (traditional Chinese)
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Kai Se Lin: s=凯瑟琳 (simplified Chinese)
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Kaisu (Finnish language)
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Kait (English language)
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Kaitlan (English language)
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Kaitlane (English language)
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Kaitlin (English language)
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Kaitline (English language)
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Kaitlyn (English language)
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Kaitlynne (English language)
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Kaitrin (German language, Swedish language)
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Kaitrina (Dutch language, English language, German language, Swedish language)
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Kaity (English language)
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Kaj (Swedish language, male)
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Kaja (Scandinavian, Estonian, Polish language)
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Kajsa (Swedish language)
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Kakalina (Hawaiian)
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Kalena (Hawaiian)
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Kalina (Hawaiian)
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Katerina (Albanian)
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:
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Kara (Arabic language, English language, , Japanese)
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Káre (Sami languages)
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Káren (Sami)
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Karen: derived from the Danish short form of Katherine (Danish language,
[ English language,][ German language, Norwegian, Dutch language][)
]
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Karena (English language)
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Karenina (English language, Scandinavian, Russian language)
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Karentina (English language, Scandinavian, Russian language)
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Kari (Norwegian)
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Karia (Norwegian)
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Karien (Afrikaans, Dutch language, Carine in French)
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Kariinná (Sami languages)
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Karin (Afrikaans, Dutch language, Estonian, Faroese language, Finnish language, German language, Swedish language)
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Karina (Swedish language, Russian language, English language, Spanish language)
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Karine (Կարինե Armenian; French language)
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Karoun (Arabic language, Armenian)
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Kary (Norwegian)
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Karyn (English language)
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Karyna (English language, Polish language, Ukrainian, Belarusian)
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:
-
:
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Kat (English language)
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Kata (Croatian, Finnish language, Hungarian)
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Katalin (Basque language, Hungarian)
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Katalina (Basque language, Esperanto, Hungarian)
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Katariina (Estonian, Finnish language)
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Katarin (Basque language, Breton language)
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Katarína (Slovak language)
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Katarina (Bosnian language, Croatian, Esperanto, German language, Hungarian, Macedonian, Serbian language, Slovene language, Swedish language)
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Katarine (German language)
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Katarino (Esperanto)
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Katarzyna (Polish language)
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Kate (Croatian, English language)
[
]
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Katelijn (Dutch language)
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Katelijne (Dutch language)
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Katelin (English language)
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Kateline (Middle English)
[
]
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Katell (Breton language)
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Katelyn (English language)
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Katelynn (English language)
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Katelynne (English language)
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Katen (Dutch language)
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Katenka (Russian language)
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Kateri (Mohawk language)
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Katerien (Afrikaans, Dutch language)
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Katerine (Old French)
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:
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:
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Katia (Italian language)
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Kátia (Portuguese)
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Katia:
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Kateřina (Czech language)
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Katerina (; Albanian, Bulgarian, Latin,
[ Macedonian, Russian language)
]
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Katerine (Middle English)
[
]
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Katerino (Esperanto)
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Kateryna (Ukrainian)
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Katerynka (Ukrainian)
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Katey (English language)
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: . (Also German language)
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:
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:
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Kathani (Hindi language, Arabic language)
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Kathanna (English language, German language)
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Kathanne (English language, French language)
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Kathareau (French language)
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Katharina (German language, Latin
[)
]
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Katharine (English language,
[ German language, Dutch language)
]
-
:
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Käthe (German language)
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Kathelijne (Dutch language)
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Katherina (English language, German language)
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Katherne (17th century English)
[
]
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Katheryn (English language)
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Katheryne (English language)
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Kathey (Gaelic languages)
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Kathi (English language)
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Kathie (English language)
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Kathianna (English language)
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Kathianne (English language)
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Kathlaura (English language, German language)
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Kathlauren (English language, German language)
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Kathlaurie (English language, French language, German language)
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Kathleanna (English language, German language)
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Kathleanne (English language, French language)
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Kathleen (English language,
[ Irish English][)
]
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Kathlyn (English language)
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Kathreena (Malayalam)
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Kathrina (German language)
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Kathrin (German language)
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Kathru (Malayalam)
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Kathryn (English language)
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Kathy (English language)
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Kati (Estonian, Finnish language, Hungarian)
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Katya, Katia, Katja: ;
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Katica (Croatian, Czech language, Serbian language, Slovene language, Hungarian)
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Katie (English language)
[
]
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Katika (Danish language)
-
:
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Κatina, Katinja (Esperanto)
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Katinka (Afrikaans, German language, Hungarian, Russian language)
[
]
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Katixa (Basque language)
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Katja (Croatian, Dutch language, Finnish language, German language, Russian language, Slovene language, Ukrainian)
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Katka (Czech language, Russian language)
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Káťa (Czech language)
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Kačka (Czech language)
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Kačenka (Czech language)
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Katlyn (English language)
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Kätlin (Estonian)
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: კატო
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Kató (Hungarian)
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Katóka (Hungarian)
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Katre (Estonian)
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Katri (Finnish language)
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Katrian (Afrikaans, Dutch language, Dutch language)
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Katriana (Portuguese, Spanish language)
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Katrianna (Danish language, Dutch language, English language, German language, Norwegian, Swedish language)
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Katrianne (English language, French language)
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Katrien (Afrikaans, Dutch language, Dutch language)
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Katriin (Estonian)
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Katriina (Finnish language)
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Katrijn (Dutch language, also 'Katryn' in Afrikaans and German language)
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Katriona (English language)
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Katrin (Estonian, Faroese language, German language, Swedish language)
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Katrina (English language, German language, Dutch language)
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Katrīna (Latvian language)
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Katrine (; Dutch language, French language, Scottish Gaelic,
[ Scandinavian)
]
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Katrinka (Dutch language, German language, Russian language)
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Katrusia (Ukrainian)
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Katryn (Afrikaans, German language, spelt in )
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Katushka (Russian language)
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Katuška (Czech language)
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Katy (English language)
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Katya (Russian language, Bulgarian, Ukrainian)
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Kay (English language)
[
]
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Kaye (English language)
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Kerry (Irish English)
[
]
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Keta: ქეთა
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Ketevan: ქეთევან
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Keti: ქეთი
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Ketlen
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Ketlin (Estonian)
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Keto: ქეთო (Georgian)
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Ketrina (Albanian)
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Kitty (English)
[
]
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Koto (Hungarian)
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Kotryna (Lithuanian)
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Kyla (English language)
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Kysa (Finnish)
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Nienke (Dutch language)
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Nynke (Frisian)
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Reina (Japanese, Yiddish language)
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Riin (Estonian)
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Riina (Estonian, Finnish language)
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Rina (Croatian)
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Triin (Estonian)
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Triinu (Estonian)
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Trijn (Dutch language)
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Trijntje (Dutch language)
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Trina (German language)
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Trinchen (German language)
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Trine (Danish language, German language)
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Trīne (Latvian language)
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Trinette (French language)
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Tríona (Irish language)
Notable people
See also
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St. Catherine (disambiguation)
Notes and references
External links
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Name statistics for Northern Ireland:
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Name statistics for Scotland: