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Katharina as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Katharina

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The baby name Katharina is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced English: /ˌkæθəˈriːnə/ (kath-uh-REE-nuh); German: /kaˈtaːʁiːna/ (ka-ta-REE-nah).

Katharina is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 4.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: English: /ˌkæθəˈriːnə/ (kath-uh-REE-nuh); German: /kaˈtaːʁiːna/ (ka-ta-REE-nah)

What is the meaning of the name Katharina ?

The baby name Katharina is a Female name , 4 syllables long and is pronounced English: /ˌkæθəˈriːnə/ (kath-uh-REE-nuh); German: /kaˈtaːʁiːna/ (ka-ta-REE-nah).

Katharina is Greek in Origin.

Katharina is the German and Central/Northern European form of Katherine, ultimately from Greek Aikaterine. Its etymology is debated - some connect it to the goddess name Hekátē, but Christian reinterpretation linked it to katharos, “pure,” a meaning reinforced by the cults of St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Catherine of Siena. The name flourished in medieval and early modern German-speaking lands, Scandinavia, and the Habsburg realms, appearing in court records, parish registers, and noble lineages.

Variants and cognates include Catherine/Katherine (English), Catarina/Caterina (Portuguese/Italian), Katarina/Katarína (Slavic), Yekaterina/Ekaterina (Russian), Katarzyna (Polish), Katrin, Katrine, and Katrina. Common short forms are Kathi, Käthe, Katja, Karin, Trine/Trina, and Rina. Notable bearers range from Katharina von Bora, the wife of Martin Luther, to “Katharina die Große” (Catherine the Great). Today it remains classic yet continental, with the prevailing sense “pure; clear,” plus an older, more mythic echo in its pre-Christian roots.

Katharina has the following similar or variant Names

Katharina – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Germany Girls 2025 #1 411
Ireland Girls 1976 #1 518
Austria 0 #23 427 850
Austria Girls 0 #30 3,207 1,885
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
Germany Girls 0 #37 10,138 4,949
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
ID 0 #37 3 2,238
Germany 0 #38 1,210 2,542
Austria Girls 2024 #45 170 60
NL Girls 2014 #58 4 73
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
ID Girls 0 #98 5 3,319
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
Norway Girls 2022 #118 5 435
Switzerland Girls 2024 #129 7 1,786
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
EE Girls 0 #141 2 1,888
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
HR 0 #180 2 2,081
LU Girls 0 #182 9 4,850
DK 0 #183 21 5,198
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
Sweden Girls 2018 #187 2 1,665
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
PL 0 #207 6 2,600
NA Girls 0 #215 10 7,146
AO Girls 0 #216 2 4,575
HU Girls 0 #221 5 3,308
PS 0 #224 3 5,692
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
GR Girls 0 #233 10 6,293
DK Girls 0 #244 74 7,429
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
MO Girls 0 #258 6 7,056
SG 0 #278 5 11,010
HR Girls 0 #279 11 3,687
Canada Girls 2024 #280 6 2,795
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
KZ Girls 0 #326 7 5,862
CZ Girls 0 #328 14 5,378
PL Girls 0 #335 20 5,096
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
QA Girls 0 #339 5 15,378
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
CN Girls 0 #357 3 8,829
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
BR 0 #358 3 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
NL 0 #371 21 2,481
Finland Girls 0 #382 10 1,368
France Girls 2021 #399 7 3,185
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
OM Girls 0 #420 5 15,987
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
CL 0 #430 5 6,867
PT Girls 0 #434 18 7,952
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
RU Girls 0 #452 47 11,913
ZA 0 #467 8 14,421
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Girls 0 #515 18 11,342
IR Girls 0 #517 14 8,334
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
UY Girls 0 #534 3 6,731
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
SG Girls 0 #571 16 18,916
BH 0 #586 2 17,937
AE Girls 0 #592 6 20,968
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
Finland Girls 2026 #633 106 3,895
HK Girls 0 #642 9 16,104
BO Girls 0 #643 9 9,488
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
IT 0 #662 53 4,183
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
CL Girls 0 #823 29 14,098
NG Girls 0 #826 1 15,093
NL Girls 0 #864 92 5,933
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
BR Girls 0 #897 45 12,708
United States Girls 2024 #902 15 8,487
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
Spain Girls 0 #932 52 5,561
Germany Boys 0 #935 18 5,697
EG Girls 0 #1,003 7 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,005 6 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,013 2 25,931
IT Girls 0 #1,016 452 9,415
MY Girls 0 #1,068 5 24,821
CO Girls 0 #1,069 10 16,140
ZA Girls 0 #1,119 23 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,172 12 17,781
DZ 0 #1,231 4 20,130
TR 0 #1,249 6 19,440

Katharina is popular in 68 countries — most recent births per country:

NL
Norway
France
Austria
Canada

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People also ask about Katharina

Katharina is predominantly a girl's name.
Katharina is a 4 syllable name, pronounced English: /ˌkæθəˈriːnə/ (kath-uh-REE-nuh); German: /kaˈtaːʁiːna/ (ka-ta-REE-nah).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Katherina, Catharina, Katarina, Katerina, Katharine and Katherine.
Across languages, Katharina has these equivalents: Ekaterina (Russian), Katerina (Greek/Slavic), Caterina (Italian), Catalina (Spanish), Katarzyna (Polish), and 2 more.
Yes, very popular — Katharina ranked #1 in Germany in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Katharina ranks highest in Germany (#1 in 2025).
Katharina's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #58 in 2004 to #58 in 2014 in Netherlands.