Total births
1,789
Girls' name · since 1980
Cate
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 1,789 babies named Cate, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5066
- among girls today
- 1,789
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
1,789 babies have been named Cate since 1980, making it today's #5066 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cate has been recorded 1,789 times among girls since 1980, currently ranked #5066 nationally and more common than 71% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2025.
- #5066 among girls today
- 1,789 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
- 71% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Cate is currently the #5066 girls' name in America, more common than 71% of girls - 1,789 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5066
- among girls today
- 1,789
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 71%
- more common than other girls
Cate vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5066
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 71% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
52% of everyone ever named Cate was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
152 babies were named Cate in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Cate compares
1,789 Top 23% higher than 77% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cate's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cate | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,789 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 152 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cate's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cate's SSA record in two at 2005 and the more recent half accounts for 73% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 27%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1980, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 152, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cate at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#5,066
Active since
1980
Cate popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 152
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Cate by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cate's strongest decade.
932 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Cate births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 52
1980s
52 births
- 1990s 87
1990s
87 births
- 2000s
2000s
932 births
- 2010s
2010s
598 births
- 2020s 120
2020s
120 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 932 births (52% of all-time use).
How Cate compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cate's total volume
Cate vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cate by state
Where Cate concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 180 | 10.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 156 | 8.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 77 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 45 | 2.5% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 26 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 17 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Florida | | 16 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 12 | 0.7% |
California share of Cate's total US births 10.1%
Even split
180 of 1,789 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.
Cate appears in 22 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cate? ▼
1,789 babies have been named Cate since 1980. It currently ranks #5066 among girls. The peak year was 2008 with 152 births.
When was Cate most popular? ▼
Cate was most popular in the 2000s decade with 932 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Cate most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cate are California (180 births), Texas (156 births), New York (77 births).
How long has the name Cate been used? ▼
Records for Cate go back to 1980, giving 46 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cate? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Catherine, Cathy, Catalina, Cathleen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cate's data
- Cate's decade-level peak was the 2000s (932 total births); usage has since declined to 120 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cates (180 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cate
Nearby Names Like Cate
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cate
Catherine Girl
#322 667,789 births
Cathy Girl
#5993 170,303 births
Catalina Girl
#128 33,009 births
Cathleen Girl
#8463 29,923 births
Cathryn Girl
#6650 16,332 births
Compare Cate side by side: Cate vs Catherine Cate vs Cathy Cate vs Catalina
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cate
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1980–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cate: #5066 Girls' Name - 1,789 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cate. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cate draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.