Message: "Catherine" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Catherine

by Perrine (Destry)

8/26/2019, 12:45 PM

What are your thoughts on Catherine? I like it without any nicknames. Too dated? It doesn't seem that way to me because all the Catherines I knew usually went by Katie or another nickname.

It is now out of the top 100 in all its spellings.

Which spelling is your favorite?

#Catherine

Replies

- Wisteria (Tawnee)

8/27/2019, 5:52 PM

It's too much of a classic to ever truly be dated. That said it's not one of my favorite names. If I had to use it, I'd use the spelling Katharine and the nickname Kat or Kate. I don't like Katie.

- Angrboða (Moirrey)

8/26/2019, 10:28 PM

I prefer Katherine to Catherine, for some reason it changes the feel of the name for me. Catherine's are around my mum's age (50's-60's) where as Katherine is timeless.

- Dracotorix

8/26/2019, 9:54 PM

I like it without any nicknames. I don't know how many I've even met because most of them go by nicknames that are also common to other names like Kaitlin/Caitlin/Katelyn/Katrina/etc.

I used to like Catherine best because it looks soft and classic. Then Katherine grew on me and now that's my favorite spelling.

My favorite nickname I've seen is a Katherine (actually it might have been Katharine, which I don't like) called Katyana.

- Bitey +3

8/26/2019, 3:24 PM

The nicknames for it are what end up being dated - Cathy/Kathy seems 50+, Katie is probably a millennial, etc - while Catherine itself is classic and ageless, imo. It's my favorite spelling, just seems softer than the K variations.

- Dracotorix +1

8/26/2019, 9:55 PM

What about Kate? I think it sounds younger than Kathy but older than Katie but I'm not sure about its actual age range.

(and for some reason I think Cate looks less dated than Kate)

This message was edited 8/26/2019, 9:56 PM

- Bitey

8/27/2019, 8:30 AM

It does seem to be a bridge between the two - most of the big celebrity Kates/Cates I can think of were born in the 70s. The latter half of Gen X, I guess?

That said, the Kates I personally know were all Katies once upon a time, so I tend to think of it as the more neutral/"mature" nickname.

edit: and just to stretch this generational sorting even further, Cat/Kat seemed more popular with the Gen Z-ers I went to college with.

This message was edited 8/27/2019, 8:34 AM

- gigibee (guest)

8/26/2019, 4:49 PM

Agree. The nicknames are dated but the full name is not.

- ari.

8/26/2019, 2:42 PM

I uses to think it bland, but I like it a lot now, it sounds very refined and classic, but not dated. I strongly prefer it to Katherine.

- Kerilyntaryn21

8/26/2019, 1:39 PM

It's lovely. Not dated at all.

- Anneza

8/26/2019, 1:27 PM

I like Katharine best, then Catherine. But I'd only use them as mns: they and their derivatives (Caitlin et al. in particular) have been too popular for too long.

- WorldPrincessII

8/26/2019, 12:57 PM

I like it. It sounds regal to me. I instantly think of Catherine the Great when I hear it. My favorite English spelling is Kathrine. Overall I prefer the Russian versions of the name Yekaterina / Katerina

View Message

Replies