Total births
650,926
Girls' name · since 1880
Katherine
Katherine has 650,926 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #175
- among girls today
- 650,926
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other girls
Katherine currently ranks #175 among girls' names in America, with 650,926 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Katherine recorded 650,926 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #175 nationally today, ahead of 99.0% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #175 among girls today
- 650,926 born since 1880
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.0% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Katherine is currently the #175 girls' name in America, more common than 99.0% of girls - 650,926 born since 1880, peaking in the 1980s.
- #175
- among girls today
- 650,926
- born since 1880
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.0%
- more common than other girls
Katherine vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#175
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.0% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Katherine was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
11,625 babies were named Katherine in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Katherine compares
650,926 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Katherine's all-time total is 1,704x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Katherine | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 650,926 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11,625 | 48 | 19,840 |
Katherine's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Katherine's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 70% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 30%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 502 births recorded -- set against the 1990 peak of 11,625, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Katherine at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1990
Current rank
#175
Active since
1880
Katherine popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 11,625
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Katherine popularity over time - boys
1,824 total births recorded since 1880 (Katherine as boys' name)
Katherine by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Katherine's strongest decade.
99,175 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Katherine births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6,922
1880s
6,922 births
- 1890s 9,408
1890s
9,408 births
- 1900s 12,105
1900s
12,105 births
- 1910s 36,884
1910s
36,884 births
- 1920s
1920s
42,745 births
- 1930s 25,193
1930s
25,193 births
- 1940s
1940s
39,912 births
- 1950s
1950s
66,855 births
- 1960s
1960s
50,619 births
- 1970s
1970s
54,048 births
- 1980s
1980s
99,175 births
- 1990s
1990s
96,885 births
- 2000s
2000s
65,356 births
- 2010s 34,144
2010s
34,144 births
- 2020s 10,675
2020s
10,675 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 99,175 births (15% of all-time use).
How Katherine 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 Katherine's total volume
Katherine vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Katherine by state
Where Katherine concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 60,687 | 9.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 50,308 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 39,260 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 32,014 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 27,294 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 26,951 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 23,365 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 20,920 | 3.2% |
California share of Katherine's total US births 9.3%
Even split
60,687 of 650,926 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Katherine appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Katherine? ▼
650,926 babies have been named Katherine since 1880. It currently ranks #175 among girls. The peak year was 1990 with 11,625 births.
When was Katherine most popular? ▼
Katherine was most popular in the 1980s decade with 99,175 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Katherine most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Katherine are California (60,687 births), New York (50,308 births), Texas (39,260 births).
How long has the name Katherine been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Katherine since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Katherine? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kathleen, Kathryn, Kathy, Katie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Katherine's data
- Katherine's decade-level peak was the 1980s (99,175 total births); usage has since declined to 10,675 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Katherines (60,687 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 Katherine
Nearby Names Like Katherine
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Katherine
Kathleen Girl
#1099 713,645 births
Kathryn Girl
#714 455,423 births
Kathy Girl
#2699 334,131 births
Katie Girl
#576 241,285 births
Katelyn Girl
#927 134,049 births
Compare Katherine side by side: Katherine vs Kathleen Katherine vs Kathryn Katherine vs Kathy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Katherine
Ximena #174
39,656 births · Peak 2016
Callie #176
70,190 births · Peak 2014
Evangeline #173
36,771 births · Peak 2025
Rosalie #177
84,049 births · Peak 1938
Isabelle #172
107,762 births · Peak 2007
Alani #178
18,799 births · Peak 2025
Ruth #171
836,122 births · Peak 1920
Lilah #179
24,664 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Katherine: #175 Girls' Name - 650,926 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/katherine. 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 Katherine 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 June 2026.