Katherine: name meaning and numbers
In Pythagorean numerology Katherine adds up to 46, which reduces to 1, its Expression number. In the Chaldean system it adds up to 30, which reduces to 3.
Katherine adds up to 1, Catherine to 11 and Kathryn to 7, so in numerology the spelling decides the number, not the sound.
Where Katherine comes from and how it spread
The name reached English from the Greek Aikaterine, whose source is disputed. An old link with katharos, Greek for pure, is said to explain the spellings with th. Devotion to Saint Catherine of Alexandria helped make it common among Christians. In the United States the count fell from 11,625 girls in 1990 to 1,670 in 2025, and in England and Wales from 1,266 in 1996 to 40. Chile had a wave of its own: 412 girls named Katherine in 1975, 3,307 in 1990 and 38 in 2021. Its vowels add up to 20 and reduce to 2.
How Katherine adds up
Katherine has 9 letters. Their Pythagorean values add up to 46 and their Chaldean values to 30.
Pythagorean
Vowels are underlined. Consonants are plain. Each letter shows its value below.
- K2Consonant
- A1Vowel
- T2Consonant
- H8Consonant
- E5Vowel
- R9Consonant
- I9Vowel
- N5Consonant
- E5Vowel
Subtotal 46
The first letter is K, worth 2.
Expression number
Also called the Destiny number
1
Sum 46, reduced to 1
Soul Urge number
Also called the Heart's Desire number
2
Sum 20, reduced to 2
Personality number
8
Sum 26, reduced to 8
Chaldean
- K2Consonant
- A1Vowel
- T4Consonant
- H5Consonant
- E5Vowel
- R2Consonant
- I1Vowel
- N5Consonant
- E5Vowel
Subtotal 30
The first letter is K, worth 2.
Expression number
3
Sum 30, reduced to 3
Soul Urge number
3
Sum 12, reduced to 3
Personality number
9
Sum 18, reduced to 9
Spellings and related forms
| Spelling | Pythagorean | Chaldean |
|---|---|---|
| Katherine | 1 | 3 |
| Catalina | 7 | 1 |
| Catarina | 4 | 9 |
| Catherine | 11 | 4 |
| Cathy | 3 | 5 |
| Karen | 22 | 6 |
| Karin | 8 | 2 |
| Kate | 1 | 3 |
| Katharine | 6 | 8 |
Related forms come from Wikidata.
Where Katherine is used
- United States Births, girls
- Other counts, each against its peak
| Where | Latest year | Count | Rank | Peak year in these data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States Births, girls | 2025 | 1,670 | 186 | 1990 |
| United States Births, boys | 2025 | fewer than 5 | 1989 | |
| England and Wales Births, girls | 2025 | 40 | 872 | 1996 |
| Scotland Births, girls | 2025 | 5 | 539 | 1992 |
| Northern Ireland Births, girls | 2025 | fewer than 5 | 1998 | |
| Canada Births, girls | 2025 | 75 | 415 | 1992 |
| Canada Births, boys | 2025 | fewer than 5 | 1993 | |
| New South Wales, Australia Births, girls | 2025 | not in that year's top 100 | 1985 | |
| Ireland Births, girls | 2025 | 5 | 608 | 1965 |
| Puerto Rico Births, girls | 2025 | fewer than 5 | 1998 | |
| Chile Births, girls | 2021 | 38 | 273 | 1990 |
| Spain Residents, women | 2025 | 2,624 | 762 | |
A rank is the place among names of the same sex in that source and year.
Before 1990 the data keeps every fifth year and the peak year.
Counts: SSA, ONS, NRS, NISRA, StatCan, NSW BDM, CSO, Registro Civil, INE. Sources and licenses
What numerology reads in these numbers
Expression number
1
In numerology, an Expression 1 is the starter's number, linked with original ideas and the nerve to act on them first.
Soul Urge number
2
What a Soul Urge 2 wants, numerologists say, is closeness: one person who understands, and a home without raised voices.
Personality number
8
Authority is the look numerologists give a Personality 8: good shoes, a firm voice and the air of someone who signs things.
Try a full name in the AstroJane name numerology calculator
Numbers worked out by code from the calculator's letter tables, every sum shown; counts from national statistics offices and registries. Numerology has no scientific evidence.
Last reviewed: November 8, 2026