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Kathryn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kathryn

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The baby name Kathryn is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkæθrɪn/ (KATH-rin).

Kathryn is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: /ˈkæθrɪn/ (KATH-rin)

What is the meaning of the name Kathryn ?

The baby name Kathryn is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkæθrɪn/ (KATH-rin).

Kathryn is Greek in Origin.

Kathryn is an English spelling variant of Katherine/Catherine, ultimately from Greek Aikaterine. The name’s root is uncertain: some scholars link it to Hekaterine and the goddess Hecate, but from late antiquity it was reshaped by folk etymology to Greek katharos, “pure.” Christian devotion to St. Catherine of Alexandria - and later St. Catherine of Siena - cemented the association with purity and wisdom.

Catherine/Katherine spread widely in medieval Europe; the form Kathryn surfaces in 19th‑century English records and became especially popular in the United States between the 1930s and 1960s. Diminutives include Kate, Katie, Kathy, Kat, Kit, and Kath. Related variants and cognates: Katherine, Katharine, Katheryn; English/French Catherine; Italian Caterina; Spanish Catalina; Portuguese Catarina; Irish Caitríona; Scottish Gaelic Catrìona; Welsh Catrin; German/Scandinavian Katharina/Katarina; Slavic Katarina and Russian Ekaterina; Polish Katarzyna. The enduring meaning is “pure.”

Kathryn has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kathryn

Kathryn Hahn Actor · Born 1973 · United States Kathryn Hahn is an American actress and comedian best known for her standout roles in comedy films and TV. She became widely recognized through movies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Step Brothers, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Kathryn Newton Actor · Born 1997 · Canada Kathryn Newton is an American actress best known for her roles in Big Little Lies, The Society, and Gary Unmarried. Born on February 8, 1997, she played Abigail Carlson in Big Little Lies, Allie Pressman in The Society, and Louise Brooks in Gary Unmarried. k.d. lang Actor · Born 1961 · Canada k.d. lang is a Canadian singer-songwriter best known for her distinctive pop and country music. She rose to fame with songs like "Constant Craving" and "Miss Chatelaine," and has also worked occasionally as an actress.
Kathryn Grayson Actor|musician · Born 1922 · United States Kathryn Grayson was best known as an American actress and coloratura soprano who starred in MGM musicals like Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, and Anchors Aweigh. Born Zelma Kathryn Elisabeth Hedrick, she began training as an opera singer at age 12. Kathryn Morris Actor · Born 1969 · United States Kathryn Morris is best known for playing Detective Lilly Rush on the CBS series Cold Case. She is an American actress born on January 28, 1969. Kathryn Joosten Actor · Born 1939 · United States Kathryn Joosten was an American actress best known for playing Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives and Delores Landingham on The West Wing. She won two Primetime Emmy Awards for her work on Desperate Housewives, becoming a familiar face on television.

Celebrity babies named Kathryn

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Kathryn Eastwood Clint Eastwood film director ★★★★★

Kathryn – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2023 #1 — 897
BN 0 #31 2 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
HN Girls 0 #38 1 884
ID 0 #39 1 2,238
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CY 0 #59 2 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
PH 0 #87 10 5,607
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
BN Girls 0 #113 2 5,459
CY Girls 0 #117 9 3,755
OM 0 #118 4 6,215
GR 0 #134 2 3,911
PA 0 #137 2 3,797
BW Girls 0 #144 8 4,216
CR 0 #146 13 5,526
MT Girls 0 #146 8 3,773
AE 0 #158 20 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
LU Girls 0 #189 2 4,850
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
PS 0 #225 2 5,692
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
GR Girls 0 #243 7 6,293
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
SG 0 #251 19 11,010
EC Girls 0 #258 1 3,650
MO Girls 0 #259 5 7,056
NG 0 #266 7 5,926
JM Girls 0 #274 5 7,507
Canada Girls 2024 #275 11 2,795
IL 0 #279 4 6,291
TW Girls 0 #286 4 8,139
QA Girls 0 #299 18 15,378
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
GH Girls 0 #311 14 6,973
MY 0 #312 19 12,352
PH Girls 0 #322 69 13,098
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
JO Girls 0 #338 2 7,570
CN Girls 0 #339 11 8,829
CZ Girls 0 #348 4 5,378
HK 0 #350 8 8,483
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
OM Girls 0 #378 19 15,987
France Girls 2001 #387 3 2,681
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
ZA 0 #406 42 14,421
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
EG 0 #410 3 6,387
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
RU Girls 0 #444 55 11,913
CR Girls 0 #465 68 11,342
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
PA Girls 0 #470 12 9,861
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
SG Girls 0 #480 107 18,916
KW Girls 0 #499 17 19,177
AE Girls 0 #507 47 20,968
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
IQ Girls 0 #522 4 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
UY Girls 0 #534 3 6,731
PS Girls 0 #540 8 10,981
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
United States Girls 2024 #549 391 8,487
HK Girls 0 #551 65 16,104
CM Girls 0 #557 4 11,671
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
LY 0 #559 1 12,703
BH 0 #580 8 17,937
BO Girls 0 #600 12 9,488
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
AR Girls 0 #629 2 8,289
IL Girls 0 #643 3 11,648
IN Girls 0 #650 5 13,121
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
IT 0 #703 12 4,183
NG Girls 0 #714 73 15,093
Finland Girls 2026 #716 23 3,895
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
Germany Girls 0 #784 55 4,949
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
CL Girls 0 #834 18 14,098
MY Girls 0 #838 157 24,821
United States Boys 2009 #874 6 7,454
SA Girls 0 #903 33 25,931
ZA Girls 0 #907 235 25,928
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Girls 0 #921 23 14,861
BR Girls 0 #924 18 12,708
NL Girls 0 #933 23 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #950 34 5,561
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
EG Girls 0 #1,002 8 14,742
CO Girls 0 #1,037 42 16,140
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
MA 0 #1,194 6 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,252 3 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,260 8 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,351 96 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,690 2 28,008

Kathryn is popular in 69 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
Canada
United States
France

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

People also ask about Kathryn

Kathryn is predominantly a girl's name.
Kathryn is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkæθrɪn/ (KATH-rin).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Katherine, Catherine, Katharine, Katheryn, Cathryn and Kathrin.
Across languages, Kathryn has these equivalents: Ekaterina (Russian), Katerina (Greek, Slavic), Caterina (Italian), Catalina (Spanish), Catarina (Portuguese), and 5 more.
Yes, very popular — Kathryn ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 6 countries.
Kathryn ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Kathryn's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2013 to #1 in 2023 in Ireland.
Yes — 12 notable people named Kathryn are in our database, including Kathryn Hahn (Actor), Kathryn Newton (Actor), k.d. lang (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Kathryn for their child, including Clint Eastwood.