| Katherine | Eleanor | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pure | Of uncertain origin, often “light” |
| Origin | Greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KATH-rin | EL-uh-ner |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1990 (11,625) | 1920 (8,497) |
| In 2025 | 1,670 | 7,649 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Katherine | Eleanor |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10,675 | 41,966 |
| 2010s | 34,144 | 40,129 |
| 2000s | 65,356 | 11,187 |
| 1990s | 96,885 | 4,871 |
| 1980s | 99,175 | 2,789 |
| 1970s | 54,048 | 2,750 |
| 1960s | 50,619 | 5,938 |
| 1950s | 66,855 | 11,065 |
| 1940s | 39,912 | 23,761 |
| 1930s | 25,193 | 46,379 |
| 1920s | 42,745 | 74,760 |
| 1910s | 36,884 | 54,163 |
| 1900s | 12,105 | 10,030 |
| 1890s | 9,408 | 4,754 |
| 1880s | 6,922 | 2,136 |
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.
A name of debated origin, long associated with the Greek for “light” or “bright.” Borne by medieval queens.
Eleanor is more popular than Katherine today: about 7,649 US babies were given the name Eleanor in 2025, compared with 1,670 named Katherine.
Katherine means Pure (Greek origin), while Eleanor means Of uncertain origin, often “light” (Greek origin).
In US records, Katherine first appears in 1880 and Eleanor in 1880, so Katherine has the longer recorded history.