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Name Lineage

    The first name Kathy

    A girl’s name.

    2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    From Kath + -y.

    Kathy is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 3 girls were named Kathy, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 14 births (#1,287).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    111
    babies named Kathy, 1996–2025
    #5,927
    rank in 2025
    1997
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Kathy at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 48 girls born in the United States were named Kathy, the 3,274th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1958, when 23,938 were.

    015,00030,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    334,870
    babies named Kathy since 1880
    #3,274
    rank in 2025
    1958
    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Kathy

    40 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Kathy Acker
      American novelist, playwright, essayist, and poet (1947–1997)
    • Kathy Hochul
      57th governor of state New York since 2021
    • Kathy Baker
      American actress (born 1950)
    • Kathy Reichs
      American writer and forensic anthropologist, born 1948
    • Kathy Najimy
      American actress, born 1957
    • Kathy Hilton
      American actress and television personality (born 1959)
    • Kathy Kirby
      British singer (1938–2011)
    • Kathy Burke
      British actress, born 1964
    • Kathy Kreiner
      Canadian alpine skier, born 1957
    • Kathy Smallwood-Cook
      Athletics (sport) competitor, born 1960
    • Kathy Watt
      Australian cyclist, born 1964
    • Kathy Mattea
      American musician, activist, born 1959

    Questions

    What does the name Kathy mean?
    From Kath + -y.
    How popular is the name Kathy?
    In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Kathy, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 1997, with 14 births.
    Is Kathy a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 334,870 US babies named Kathy since 1880 were girls.
    When was Kathy most popular?
    1958 in the United States, when 23,938 babies were named Kathy, its highest rank at 14th.
    What are other spellings of Kathy?
    Cathi, Cathie, Cathy, Kathi and Kathie.