Catherine, derived from the Greek 'Katharos', means pure or clear. It is a timeless name with roots dating back to ancient times. Catherine was widely revered during the Middle Ages due to figures like Catherine of Siena and Catherine of Alexandria, leading to its popularity in Europe. In many Romance languages, variations such as Kathryn, Caitlin, Kathleen, and Katrin are derived from this classic name.
Between 1884 and 2007, the name Catherine experienced varying popularity in newborn girls, with a total of 1822 babies given this name over these years. The number of births peaked in 1924 and 1927, with 28 and 35 births respectively, during a time when the name was quite popular. However, after the 1960s, its popularity started to decline significantly, reaching as low as 5 births in some years like 2007.