girl's name
Catalina
kat-uh-LEE-nuh
- Origin Greek
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 36,053
the United States
#111
2025 births
Catalina is a girl's name of Greek origin, the Spanish form of Catherine. Its meaning is genuinely disputed — the traditional gloss "pure" comes from the Greek katharos, but that association appears to have been attached later to a name of unknown origin.
- Catalina is a name of Greek origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 2,456 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,350 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1893.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Catalina over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 26 |
| 1900s | 73 |
| 1910s | 278 |
| 1920s | 817 |
| 1930s | 616 |
| 1940s | 422 |
| 1950s | 538 |
| 1960s | 678 |
| 1970s | 1,001 |
| 1980s | 1,304 |
| 1990s | 2,243 |
| 2000s | 3,742 |
| 2010s | 9,369 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 11,909 |
What Catalina means
Catalina is usually translated as pure, following Catherine, though scholars note the katharos connection may be a later reinterpretation rather than the true root. The original meaning of the underlying Greek Aikaterine is not recoverable.
Where Catalina comes from
Catalina is the Spanish form of Catherine, from the Greek Aikaterine, whose origin is genuinely unknown. The familiar gloss of pure comes from katharos, meaning pure — but the association appears to postdate the name, arising when Christian writers reshaped the spelling to Katharina to reflect a virtue. The name spread through Europe via Saint Catherine of Alexandria, whose legend gave English the Catherine wheel. Catalina is standard across the Spanish-speaking world, and Santa Catalina Island off California carries the name. English-speaking use has grown considerably in recent decades.
Catalina in use
The "pure" meaning appears to have been attached to Catherine by later Christian writers rather than being its actual root.
How popular is Catalina?
In 2025, Catalina was given to 2,456 babies in the United States, ranking #111 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Catalina is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Catalina
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Catalina also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Catalina over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Catalina
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Catalina in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Catalina
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Catalina — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Catalina
What does the name Catalina mean?
Catalina is usually glossed as "pure," following Catherine, though that meaning may have been attached later.
Is Catalina the Spanish form of Catherine?
Yes.
Why is Catherine's meaning disputed?
The Greek Aikaterine has no recoverable origin; the "pure" reading appears to be a later Christian reinterpretation.
How popular is the name Catalina?
In 2025, Catalina was given to 2,456 babies in the United States, ranking #111 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Catalina a girl's or a boy's name?
Catalina is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Catalina?
Catalina has 4 syllables.
When was Catalina most popular?
Catalina peaked in 2025, when 2,456 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Catalina?
Catalina is usually shortened to Lina.
Is Catalina a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Catalina currently ranks #111 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.