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Home › Baby Names Directory › Cathey

Cathey

♀ Girl

Pronounced KATH-ee /ˈkæθ.i/Medium

Meaning: Cathey is a spelling variant of Cathy, a short form of Catherine, from the Greek Aikaterine, traditionally linked to katharos ('pure'). The -ey ending gave the popular nickname a personal twist.Medium

In 30 seconds: A pretty spelling of Cathy ('pure'): Cathey trades the -y for -ey (said 'KATH-ee'). It peaked around 1953, then faded.
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Origin MediumGreek, English
MeaningCathey is a spelling variant of Cathy, a short form of Catherine, from the Greek Aikaterine, traditionally linked to katharos ('pure'). The -ey ending gave the popular nickname a personal twist.
U.S. rank (1983)#10500 ↗ Rising
1983 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1953
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,216

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 195319391983

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

Cathey respells Cathy, a short form of Catherine from the Greek Aikaterine, long tied to katharos ('pure'). It rode the strong midcentury Cathy fashion, peaking around 1953. As parents kept to the plainer Cathy and Kathy spellings, this variant faded (said 'KATH-ee').

By the 1970s the name had grown rare on American birth records. It reads today as a period spelling of a classic nickname. Pure-rooted, sweet, and uncommon.

Did you know? Cathey is a spelling of Cathy, itself a short form of Catherine ('pure'), and it peaked for American girls around 1953, when Cathy names were in full swing.
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Cathey — Variant of Cathy; short for Catherine; Greek 'pure'

Variations

CathyKathyCathie

Nicknames

CatCatie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Cathey…

Cathy— the standard spelling of the same name
Kathy— a like short form of Catherine
Kathleen— a like Catherine-rooted midcentury name
Shirley— lands in the same popularity range
Maisey— shares Cathey's Greek roots

Explore names like Cathey

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Cathey mean?

Cathey means 'pure', a spelling of Cathy, short for Catherine from the Greek Aikaterine.

How do you pronounce Cathey?

It's said KATH-ee /ˈkæθ.i/ — two syllables, stress on the first, like Cathy.

Is Cathey a boy or girl name?

Cathey is a girl's name, a variant of Cathy.

Is Cathey making a comeback?

This spelling stays rare, and Cathy itself reads as a mid-century classic.

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