Kathy
Masculine
Kathy is given to girls far more often — 334,131 girls against 739 boys since 1880. See Kathy as a girl name
Kathy is a short form that has done a century of work as a full name, and it is recorded here for boys as well as girls. The name behind it is one of the most productive in English: the list of short forms it has thrown off runs to ten or more.
How old is the name Kathy?
Kathy first appears in US birth records in 1942 — 83 years ago. The typical Kathy alive today was born around 1959, making them about 66 years old. About 600 people named Kathy are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Kathy most popular?
Kathy peaked in 1957, reaching #1075 nationally. See the whole 1957 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Kathy
Count them: Kate, Katie, Kathy, Cathy, Kit, Kitty, Kay, Cass, Cassie, Trina, Rina, Karen in some countries and Catalina's own set in others. Very few names manage that. The reason is structural: three or four syllables with several stressable pieces, each of which can be cut out and given an ending, and eight hundred years of constant use in which to do it. Several of those short forms have become independent names that most people no longer connect to the original, which is how a family can end up with a Katherine and a Kay without noticing they have used one name twice.
Meaningnot established
Not established
The name behind it has no settled meaning; the reading usually given comes from a Greek word attached to it later by resemblance. This short form is recorded on its own and the record does not explain its use for both sexes.
Pronouncing Kathy
KATH-ee
Two syllables with the stress in front. There is nothing in it to get wrong.
Nicknames for Kathy
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1942
- Most boys named
- 195750 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1075reached in 1957
- Change vs 1984
- 0.0%5 in 1988, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Kathys among us
people named Kathy are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Kathy sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- It is warm and instantly understood, which very few names manage on a first hearing.
- Five letters and two syllables, never misspelled after one telling.
- It is recorded for boys and for girls, so it does not force a reading on anyone.
- Cathy is equally common, so the name will be written both ways by other people for life.
- It reads as a short form to some people, so formal settings will ask what it stands for.
- In America it reads as belonging to an older generation, which is either the appeal or the obstacle.
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Kathy
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Kathys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Kathy are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Kathy in 2025?
- Kathy is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Kathy with classmates?
- Kathy will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More K names
The most-given names starting with K, all years combined.
Kenneth#294 · Kevin#221 · Kyle#508 · Keith#800 · Karl#1585 · Kaleb#295 · Kurt#2258 · Kelly#1867
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Kathy? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Kathy and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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