Kathy

♀ Girl

Pronounced KATH-ee /ˈkæθ.i/Medium

Meaning: pure (diminutive of Katherine)Medium

In 30 seconds: Kathy is a friendly short form of Katherine, a Greek name meaning 'pure.' It carries that same clean, classic sense in a warmer, everyday package.

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Origin MediumGreek

Meaningpure (diminutive of Katherine)

U.S. rank (2025)#3274 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births48 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1958

Total births (all-time)≈ 334,132

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

As a diminutive of Katherine, Kathy inherits the Greek root behind 'pure' and the long history of Katherine across European naming. Where the full name feels formal, Kathy reads casual and approachable, which is part of why it became a familiar standalone given name. It sits in the same family as other Katherine short forms like Kate and Kat.

The name has a soft, mid-century ring to it, and its variations show how flexibly Katherine can be trimmed: Kat, Kate, Kathi, Kathie, and Kay all reach back to the same source. Actresses Kathy Bates and Kathy Baker have both carried it to wide recognition.

Did you know? Kathy is a short form of Katherine, a name associated since early Christian times with Greek katharos 'pure'.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Kathy — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

KatKateKathiKathieKay

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Kathy Baker (1950–present)
American actress, three-time Emmy winner for Picket Fences.
★Kathy Bates (1948–present)
American actress, Best Actress Oscar winner for Misery.

If you like Kathy…

Kate— Another short form of Katherine drawn from the same Greek root for 'pure.'

Katy— shares Kathy's Greek roots

Keidy— lands in the same popularity range

Ellen— lands in the same popularity range

Lexie— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Kathy

By themeenglish

By meaningPurity

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kathy mean?

Kathy means 'pure', a diminutive of Katherine associated with the Greek word katharos.

How do you pronounce Kathy?

It's commonly said KATH-ee /ˈkæθ.i/.

Is Kathy a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Kathy is used as a girl name.

How popular is Kathy?

In 2024, Kathy ranked #2701 in the U.S. for girls, with 64 births recorded.