William vs Katherine

Side-by-side comparison of William and Katherine — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

William

Boy name · Rank #10

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Name B

Katherine

Girl name · Rank #175

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Which name is more popular?

Metric William Katherine
Current Rank #10 #175
Total Births (all years) 4,189,004 649,238
Peak Year 1947 1990
Peak Year Births 67,001 11,627
Peak Decade 1950ss 1980ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade William Katherine
1880ss 84,881 6,922
1890ss 72,244 9,408
1900ss 69,320 12,105
1910ss 303,018 36,884
1920ss 512,402 42,745
1930ss 416,728 25,193
1940ss 556,469 39,911
1950ss 591,226 66,854
1960ss 421,411 50,618
1970ss 283,415 54,052
1980ss 248,286 99,176
1990ss 217,818 96,885
2000ss 194,404 65,355
2010ss 159,945 34,139
2020ss 57,437 8,991

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year William Katherine
2014 16,847 3,689
2015 15,945 3,454
2016 15,808 3,275
2017 15,042 2,861
2018 14,645 2,676
2019 13,649 2,450
2020 12,673 1,991
2021 12,166 1,819
2022 11,349 1,738
2023 10,653 1,703
2024 10,596 1,740

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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