Katherine is a given name for a female, derived from the Greek name Αικατερίνη (Aikaterinē), of debated origin and meaning. Katharine is an alternative form, more popular in the United States than in Britain, altered by folk etymology to resemble the Greek word katharos, "pure". The form Catherine, corresponding with the French version, is also common. Nicknames found in English include Kate, Katie, Kat, Kathy, Cate, and Cathy. Less common variants are Kaydi, Katheryn, Kathryn, Kathie, Katia, Kitty and Katrina.

Alternate forms include:

• Caterina (in Italian)
• Catarina (in Portuguese)
• Catalina (in Spanish)
• Caitlín
• Caitrìona (in Irish)
• Cait
• Catie
• Cate
• Katica
• Catharine
• Catharina
• Cathryn
• Cathy
• Caitriona
• Ekaterina
• Katarina
• Kat
• Kathy
• Katharina
• Katherina
• Katarzyna (in Polish)
• Katharine
• Katherine
• Kathryn
• Katheryn
• Katrina
• Kathleen
• Kate
• Kitty
• Katya
• Αικατερίνη/Κατερίνα (in Greek)

Katherine may also refer to:

• Katherine (film), a 1975 film
• Katherine (novel), a 1954 novel by Anya Seton about Katherine Swynford
• Katherine, Northern Territory, a town located in Australia

Famous Katherines and Katharines

• Katharine, Duchess of Kent, the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
• Katherine Alexander, an American actress
• Katharine Anthony, an American biographer
• Katharine Lee Bates, an American songwriter
• Katherine Blodgett, an American physicist
• Katharine Cornell, an American actress
• Katharine Drexel, an American nun who has been canonized
• Katharine D. Dukakis, better known as Kitty Dukakis, wife of Michael Dukakis
• Katherine Esau, a Ukrainian-American botanist
• Katharine Fraser, heiress-presumptive to the titles Lady Saltoun and Chief of Clan Fraser
• Katherine Govier, a Canadian novelist
• Katharine Graham, former head of the Washington Post
• Katherine Helmond, an American actress
• Katharine Hepburn, an American actress
• Katharine Houghton, an American actress
• Katherine Igoe, a British actress
• Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress
• Katherine Jenkins, a Welsh singer
• Katharine Kerr, an American novelist
• Katherine MacLean, an American science fiction author
• Katherine Mansfield, a New Zealand short story author
• Katharine McPhee, American Idol contestant
• Katherine D. Ortega, former Treasurer of the United States
• Katherine Anne Porter, an American author
• Katherine Pulaski, the replacement chief medical officer for Beverly Crusher during the second season of The Next Generation
• Katharine Ross, an American actress
• Katharine Russell, daughter of Bertrand Russell
• Katherine Stinson, a famous US female pilot from around the 1920s and '30s
• Katherine Young, world's oldest Internet user

Famous Catherines

Only name

• Catherine the Great, Tsarina of Russia
• Catherine of Aragon
• Catherine de Medici
• Saint Catherine of Alexandria
• Saint Catherine of Siena
• Saint Catherine of Bologna
• Saint Catherine of Ricci
• Saint Catherine of Sweden
• Saint Catherine Laboure
• Saint Catherine of Genoa

First name

• Catherine Booth, the mother of The Salvation Army
• Catherine Bosley, TV reporter famous for being videotaped stripping during a wet t-shirt contest.
• Catherine Hicks, actress most notable for portraying Annie Camden in 7th Heaven
• Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, king of England
• Catherine Zeta Jones, Welsh actress famous for her roles in several Hollywood movies including "The Mask of Zorro" opposite Antonio Banderas
• Catherine Labouré, subject of a Marian apparition
• Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII, king of England
• Catherine Sutherland, actress who portrayed Katherine "Kat" Hillard in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

Middle name

• Dorothy Catherine Fontana, screenplay writer

Fictional characters

• Catherine Willows
• Catherine, Myst
• Catherine Linton, Wuthering Heights
• Katherine "Kat" Hillard in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
• Katherine in The Series.

Other

• Catharine, town in Schuyler County, New York
• Catherine, Quebec television sitcom
• The Catherine wheel, symbol of Saint Catherine of Alexandria

See also

• Allpages/Katherine
• Allpages/Catherine

Given names

Catherine | Kateřina | Katharina | Katharina | Katerino | Katarina | Katrijn | キャサリン | Katarzyna | Екатерина | Katarína | Katarina