Kathy

Kathy - A very unique female name

Kathy appeared on the charts for the first time in 1926 on position #1704. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Kathy and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Kathy? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Kathy. The baby girl name Kathy was given to 14 baby girls in 2025, ranking #3386 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 93,105 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kathy peaked in popularity 68 years ago in 1958 on position 14.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Kathy, 1-5?

Kathy is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kathy is currently topping the baby name charts in Pennsylvania at position #1,508 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,190.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kathy is where you live.

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Kathy origin and meaning

Diminutive of Katherine

Uncertain — a diminutive of Katherine, whose own derivation is disputed; the familiar gloss 'pure' comes from a later association with Greek katharos

Kathy is the everyday diminutive of Katherine, a name whose Greek root Aikaterine has never been securely explained — the 'pure' meaning is a later folk association, not a derivation. As a standalone name Kathy was enormous in the 1950s, peaking at 23,939 births in 1958, and has fallen steadily since, giving it a distinctly mid-century feel today.

Origin uncertain

Kathy is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Kathy, pop culture references for the name Kathy and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Kathy

We've found the following names that sound similar to Kathy, sorted by popularity.

Katie / Kate / Kassidy / Katy / Kathie / Kathi / Kitty / Katia / Kati / Kattie /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Kathy

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Kathy a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Kathy?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KATH-ee · /ˈkæθi/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Cathy — The C- spelling of the same diminutive.
• Kathi — An -i ending spelling.
• Kathie — An -ie ending spelling.

Nicknames: Kat

Famous bearers

• Kathy Bates — Academy Award-winning actress known for Misery and Fried Green Tomatoes; born Kathleen Bates and famous as Kathy (b. 1948) Contemporary
• Kathy Griffin — American comedian and actress known for My Life on the D-List; born Kathleen Griffin and famous as Kathy (b. 1960) Contemporary

Style

Nickname nameClassic

Why parents choose it

Parents choosing Kathy today are usually honouring a 1950s–60s grandmother; the name reads warm and familiar rather than current.

Worth knowing

• It peaked in 1958 and has fallen for decades, so it will read as a grandparent-generation name to most people.
• The 'pure' meaning often quoted for Katherine is a folk association, not its documented root.