Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Catena

Catena

♀ Girl

Pronounced kuh-TEE-nuh /kəˈti.nə/Low

Meaning: Catena is the Italian word catena, 'chain,' used as a girls' devotional name in Sicily in honor of the Madonna della Catena, 'Our Lady of the Chain,' venerated in Palermo. The image recalls a legend of prisoners freed from their chains, so as a name Catena carries a meaning of faith and deliverance rather than a coined sound.Low

In 30 seconds: Catena is a rare Italian girl's name (said kuh-TEE-nuh) meaning 'chain,' honoring the Madonna della Catena. It appeared in United States records in the early nineteen-seventies.
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowItalian
MeaningCatena is the Italian word catena, 'chain,' used as a girls' devotional name in Sicily in honor of the Madonna della Catena, 'Our Lady of the Chain,' venerated in Palermo. The image recalls a legend of prisoners freed from their chains, so as a name Catena carries a meaning of faith and deliverance rather than a coined sound.
U.S. rank (1974)#8954 ↘ Falling
1974 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)≈ 28

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197219721974

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Catena comes from the Italian catena, 'chain,' and served in Sicily as a devotional name for the Madonna della Catena, 'Our Lady of the Chain,' venerated in Palermo. The devotion recalls prisoners miraculously freed, giving the name a meaning of release and protection. Carried to America by Italian families, Catena appears in United States records mainly in the early nineteen-seventies and has always been rare.

Catena appears for American girls chiefly in the early nineteen-seventies, given to only about fifteen a year at its peak and never common. A girl named Catena then would be in her fifties today.

Did you know? Catena means 'chain' and honors the Madonna della Catena, 'Our Lady of the Chain,' a Sicilian devotion linked to a legend of captives set free from their bonds.
Overall data confidence 42%
References - Catena — Italian 'chain'; Madonna della Catena devotion (Palermo); plain-Latin only.

Variations

CatinaKatena

Nicknames

CathyTina

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Catena…

Carmela— a like Italian Marian devotional name
Concetta— another Italian religious girl's name
Assunta— a comparable Italian devotional name
Rosaria— a similar faith-rooted Italian name

Explore names like Catena

By themevintageitaliandevotionalseventies

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Catena mean?

Catena is the Italian word for 'chain,' a Sicilian devotional name honoring the Madonna della Catena, 'Our Lady of the Chain.'

How do you pronounce Catena?

It is said kuh-TEE-nuh /kəˈti.nə/ - three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Catena a boy or girl name?

Catena is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Catena?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen girls a year even at its peak in the early nineteen-seventies.

💬 Ask Nia