| Cynthia | Katherine | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Moon goddess epithet | Pure |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | SIN-thee-ah | KATH-rin |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1957 (39,340) | 1990 (11,625) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,670 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Cynthia | Katherine |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,855 | 10,675 |
| 2010s | 5,946 | 34,144 |
| 2000s | 15,172 | 65,356 |
| 1990s | 31,313 | 96,885 |
| 1980s | 41,666 | 99,175 |
| 1970s | 80,196 | 54,048 |
| 1960s | 196,597 | 50,619 |
| 1950s | 263,432 | 66,855 |
| 1940s | 58,061 | 39,912 |
| 1930s | 9,666 | 25,193 |
| 1920s | 3,661 | 42,745 |
| 1910s | 1,911 | 36,884 |
| 1900s | 694 | 12,105 |
| 1890s | 701 | 9,408 |
| 1880s | 582 | 6,922 |
Cynthia is from Greek Kynthia, an epithet of Artemis meaning 'from Mount Cynthus,' her birthplace on Delos. The moon association comes because Artemis (and Selene) were called Cynthia; it is cultural, not a literal 'moon' etymology.
Katherine comes from the Greek Aikaterine, of debated origin, long associated with katharos, “pure.” A name of saints, empresses and queens, it offers an unusual wealth of nicknames.
Katherine is more popular than Cynthia today: about 1,670 US babies were given the name Katherine in 2025, compared with 0 named Cynthia.
Cynthia means Moon goddess epithet (greek origin), while Katherine means Pure (Greek origin).
In US records, Cynthia first appears in 0 and Katherine in 1880, so Cynthia has the longer recorded history.