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Cate as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Cate

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The baby name Cate is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /keɪt/.

Cate is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /keɪt/

What is the meaning of the name Cate ?

The baby name Cate is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /keɪt/.

Cate is Greek in Origin.

Cate is a crisp English short form and independent spelling variant of Catherine/Katherine, rooted in Greek Aikaterine. Its meaning is commonly interpreted as "pure," via Greek katharos, though scholars also link it to the goddess Hecate or to an unknown pre-Greek source. Through Latin Caterina and French Catherine, the name entered English in the Middle Ages, borne by revered saints such as Catherine of Alexandria and Catherine of Siena, which secured its enduring popularity.

The streamlined Cate spelling rose in the late 20th century, prized for its clean look and association with actress Cate Blanchett. Related forms include Kate, Katie, Katy, Catie, Cat, Kat; longer cognates are Catherine, Katherine, Katharine, Katarina, Katharina, Katrina, Catriona/Caitríona, Catarina, Ekaterina/Yekaterina, Katia, and Katya. Cate keeps the grounded virtue-meaning of its parent name while feeling brisk, contemporary, and international.

Cate has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Cate

Cate Blanchett Actor · Born 1969 · United States Cate Blanchett is an Australian actor and producer best known for acclaimed roles in Elizabeth, The Lord of the Rings, and Blue Jasmine. She is widely recognized as one of her generation’s finest performers, with a versatile career spanning both stage and screen, from independent films to major blockbusters.

Cate – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2017 #1 949
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #108 3 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
Sweden Girls 2020 #179 2 1,663
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
PT 0 #244 7 4,161
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
MO Girls 0 #262 2 7,056
TW Girls 0 #281 9 8,139
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
Canada Girls 2021 #286 5 2,910
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
QA Girls 0 #302 15 15,378
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
GH Girls 0 #305 20 6,973
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
CN Girls 0 #356 4 8,829
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #361 4 5,096
PH Girls 0 #370 21 13,098
OM Girls 0 #378 19 15,987
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
Germany 0 #428 10 2,542
PT Girls 0 #429 23 7,952
ZA 0 #430 18 14,421
CL 0 #431 4 6,867
MX 0 #444 2 8,339
CO 0 #463 18 7,768
UY Girls 0 #490 21 6,731
RU Girls 0 #515 9 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #519 7 11,303
AE Girls 0 #523 31 20,968
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
KW Girls 0 #557 5 19,177
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
CR Girls 0 #566 8 11,342
SG Girls 0 #571 16 18,916
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AR Girls 0 #589 11 8,289
IT 0 #616 99 4,183
HK Girls 0 #644 7 16,104
IL Girls 0 #645 1 11,648
BO Girls 0 #647 5 9,488
IT Girls 0 #672 1,122 9,415
ZA Girls 0 #675 562 25,928
LB 0 #686 5 13,263
CL Boys 0 #694 7 13,390
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #742 2 18,093
NG Girls 0 #747 40 15,093
SY 0 #763 5 11,684
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
CO Girls 0 #822 265 16,140
Germany Girls 0 #822 17 4,949
CL Girls 0 #833 19 14,098
SA Girls 0 #839 97 25,931
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #891 26 8,487
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
PE Girls 0 #930 14 14,861
EG Girls 0 #944 16 14,742
NL Girls 0 #945 11 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #959 25 5,561
MY Girls 0 #961 34 24,821
CO Boys 0 #975 7 15,656
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
NG Boys 0 #1,000 2 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,037 3 16,750
MA 0 #1,116 13 20,986
AE Boys 0 #1,143 1 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,151 28 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
DZ 0 #1,227 8 20,130
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,262 6 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,445 27 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,686 6 28,008

Cate is popular in 66 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Cate

Cate is predominantly a girl's name.
Cate is a one syllable name, pronounced /keɪt/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kate, Kathy, Katie, Katy, Kat and Katelyn.
Across languages, Cate has these equivalents: Catherine (English/French), Katherine (English), Catalina (Spanish), Caterina (Italian), Ekaterina (Russian), and 4 more.
Yes, very popular — Cate ranked #1 in Ireland in 2017, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Cate ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2017).
Cate's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2007 to #1 in 2017 in Ireland.
Yes — 1 notable people named Cate are in our database, including Cate Blanchett (Actor).