girl's name
Kataleya
kat-uh-LAY-uh (English)
- Origin English, Spanish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 6,970
the United States
#459
2025 births
Kataleya is a girl's name, a phonetic spelling of Cataleya, from the Cattleya orchid. The plant was named after William Cattley, an English horticulturist, and the name became known after the heroine of the 2011 film Colombiana, played by Zoe Saldaña.
- Kataleya is a name of English, Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2025, when 674 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,919 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 2011.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Kataleya Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 2010s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 2010s | 1,922 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,858 |
What Kataleya Means
Kataleya means the Cattleya orchid, so it's a flower name at heart. The surname behind it, Cattley, has no connection with flowers, and it's the exotic blooms and the film that give the name its sense.
Where Kataleya Comes From
Botanist John Lindley named the genus Cattleya for William Cattley, who in the nineteenth century was the first to bring one of its plants into flower in England. Colombia later adopted Cattleya trianae as its national flower, which explains its use in Colombiana, where the heroine says that she was named for the orchid. Parents then took up the name, with Cataleya and Kataleya the leading spellings. Nameberry gives Cattley's flower, and More4Kids gives this same account. MomJunction's link to a Greek nymph and Namepedia's different genus name both lack support.
Kataleya in Use
Kataleya is popular in France as well as in the United States, an unusual match for a name from a film. Kat and Leya are possible short forms.
How Popular Is Kataleya?
In 2025, Kataleya was given to 674 babies in the United States, ranking #459 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Kataleya 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.
How Kataleya Is Spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Kataléya | Kataléya is Kataleya written with an acute accent, used in France, where it ranks #1,543. | 190 |
| Katalëya | Katalëya is Kataleya written with a diaeresis, used in France, where it ranks #1,293. | 130 |
Names That Peaked Alongside Kataleya
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kataleya Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kataleya over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Kataleya
- English kat-uh-LAY-uh
Kataleya 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.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Cataleya
Sibling Names for Kataleya
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kataleya — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kataleya
What does the name Kataleya mean?
It's from the Cattleya orchid, named for William Cattley.
Where does the name Kataleya come from?
It was popularized by the 2011 film Colombiana, whose heroine is named Cataleya.
Is Kataleya the same as Cataleya?
Yes. It's a phonetic spelling.
How popular is the name Kataleya?
In 2025, Kataleya was given to 674 babies in the United States, ranking #459 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Kataleya a girl's or a boy's name?
Kataleya is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kataleya?
Kataleya has 4 syllables.
When was Kataleya most popular?
Kataleya peaked in 2025, when 674 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Kataleya a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kataleya currently ranks #319 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.