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Catriona

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Catriona

Pronounced kuh-TREE-nuh /kəˈtriː.nə/Medium

Meaning: Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, the classic name traditionally read as 'pure' from the Greek katharos. Though spelled with a t, it is usually said 'kuh-TREE-nuh', and it is a beloved Scottish name.Medium

In 30 seconds: Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, traditionally read as 'pure'. A heritage name and a Stevenson novel title, it stayed rare in the US.

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Origin MediumScottish, Greek

MeaningCatriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, the classic name traditionally read as 'pure' from the Greek katharos. Though spelled with a t, it is usually said 'kuh-TREE-nuh', and it is a beloved Scottish name.

U.S. rank (2024)#15695 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1998

Total births (all-time)≈ 682

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, which comes through Greek Aikaterine and has long been linked to katharos, 'pure'. A staple of Scottish naming, it gained literary fame as the title of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, and it is more familiar in Britain than in America.

In the United States it was always a heritage rarity, running at a few dozen girls a year and reaching a faint high point around 1998. Catriona reads as an authentic Scottish classic - dignified and clearly rooted - rather than an American trend, and it stays uncommon here.

Did you know? Catriona is the title of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1893 novel, the sequel to Kidnapped - a literary anchor that helped carry this Scottish form of Katherine into the wider English-speaking world.

Overall data confidence 80%

References - Catriona / Katherine — Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, Greek 'pure'; R.L. Stevenson novel title

Variations

KatrinaCaitrionaKatherineCatrina

Nicknames

CatTriona

Famous Bearers

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If you like Catriona…

Katrina— a related form of the same Katherine family, close in sound

Katherine— the parent name Catriona is the Gaelic form of

Catrina— a simplified spelling of the same name

Fiona— a comparable Scottish -iona feminine, similar feel

Explore names like Catriona

By themeheritage scottish literary

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Catriona mean?

Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of Katherine, traditionally understood as 'pure'.

How do you pronounce Catriona?

It's said kuh-TREE-nuh /kəˈtriː.nə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Catriona a boy or girl name?

Catriona is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Catriona?

Catriona has always been rare in the US, a Scottish heritage form of Katherine, more common in Britain.