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Name Lineage

    The first name Kate

    A girl’s name.

    Pronounced /keɪt/ 1 syllable Female

    Meaning and origin

    A diminutive of the female given name Katherine and related names, also used as a formal given name.

    Kate is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 31 girls were named Kate, making it the 1,079th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 1,055 births (#59).

    01,0002,000 1996200020052010201520202025
    10,307
    babies named Kate, 1996–2025
    #1,079
    rank in 2025
    1996
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kate with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Kate at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 576 girls born in the United States were named Kate, the 522nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2007, when 2,550 were.

    01,5003,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    86,076
    babies named Kate since 1880
    #522
    rank in 2025
    2007
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Kate

    155 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Kate Winslet
      English actress (born 1975)
    • Kate Hudson
      American actress and singer (born 1979)
    • Kate Mara
      American actress (born 1983)
    • Kate Chopin
      American author (1850–1904)
    • Kate Walsh
      American actress, born 1967
    • Kate Capshaw
      American actress who converted to Judaism, born 1953
    • Kate Mulgrew
      American actress, born 1955
    • Kate McKinnon
      American actress and comedian (born 1984)
    • Mary-Kate Olsen
      American businesswoman and actress (born 1986)
    • Kate Miller-Heidke
      Australian singer, born 1981
    • Kate Nash
      British musician, born 1987
    • Kate Jackson
      American actress, producer, and director (born 1948)

    Questions

    How popular is the name Kate?
    In 2025, 31 girls born in England and Wales were named Kate, ranking 1,079th. Its peak was 1996, with 1,055 births.
    Is Kate a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 86,076 US babies named Kate since 1880 were girls.
    When was Kate most popular?
    2007 in the United States, when 2,550 babies were named Kate, its highest rank at 136th.
    How do you pronounce Kate?
    Kate is /keɪt/, one syllable.