| Catalina | Mercedes | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | uncertain; linked to 'pure' | Mercies |
| Origin | spanish | Spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | kah-tah-LEE-nah | mer-SEH-dess |
| Syllables | 4 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1893 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (2,456) | 1991 (1,798) |
| In 2025 | 2,456 | 150 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Catalina | Mercedes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 11,909 | 1,025 |
| 2010s | 9,369 | 2,950 |
| 2000s | 3,742 | 8,454 |
| 1990s | 2,236 | 15,291 |
| 1980s | 1,304 | 4,410 |
| 1970s | 1,001 | 1,985 |
| 1960s | 678 | 1,699 |
| 1950s | 538 | 1,741 |
| 1940s | 422 | 1,368 |
| 1930s | 616 | 1,858 |
| 1920s | 817 | 2,828 |
| 1910s | 278 | 1,767 |
| 1900s | 73 | 530 |
| 1890s | 26 | 226 |
| 1880s | 0 | 74 |
The Spanish form of Katherine, from the Greek Aikaterine, whose original meaning is unknown. Early Christians associated it with the Greek katharos 'pure', which reshaped the spelling (with -th-), but that 'pure' sense is a later folk association rather than the true root.
Mercedes means “mercies,” from Our Lady of Mercy.
Catalina is more popular than Mercedes today: about 2,456 US babies were given the name Catalina in 2025, compared with 150 named Mercedes.
Catalina means uncertain; linked to 'pure' (spanish origin), while Mercedes means Mercies (Spanish origin).
In US records, Catalina first appears in 1893 and Mercedes in 1880, so Mercedes has the longer recorded history.