Girls' name · since 1939
Cathey
Since 1939, U.S. Social Security records show 2,216 babies named Cathey, peaking in 1953. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,402 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,216
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cathey sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 2,216 recorded since 1939.
Cathey has 2,216 recorded births among girls since 1939, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1939 to 1983.
- #4,402 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 2,216 born since 1939
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cathey ranks #4,402 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 2,216 born since 1939, peaking in the 1950s.
- #4,402 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 2,216
- born since 1939
- 1950s
- peak decade
Cathey's 2,216 recorded births place it above 93.91% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
18 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Cathey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cathey's full recorded timeline at 1961, 23% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 77% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1979, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1953 peak of 157 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cathey popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1939–1983
- Peak year (1953)
- 157
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Cathey by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (1,200 births, 54% of the file).
1950s was Cathey's strongest decade.
1,200 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 54% of all-time use.
Cathey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 6
1930s
6 births
- 1940s 410
1940s
410 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,200 births
- 1960s 477
1960s
477 births
- 1970s 108
1970s
108 births
- 1980s 15
1980s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,200 births (54% of all-time use).
How Cathey 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 Cathey's total volume
Cathey by state
Where Cathey concentrates geographically, total births since 1939
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 371 | 16.7% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 223 | 10.1% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 196 | 8.8% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 144 | 6.5% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 64 | 2.9% |
| #6 | California | | 63 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 46 | 2.1% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 32 | 1.4% |
371 of 2,216 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Cathey appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Cathey sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cathey most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Cathey been used? ▼
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What to do with Cathey's data
- Cathey's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,200 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Catheys (371 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cathey
Nearby Names Like Cathey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cathey
Compare Cathey side by side: Cathey vs Catherine Cathey vs Cathy Cathey vs Catalina
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cathey: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1953)
Similar record span (~44 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1939–1983 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Cathey 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 August 2026.