What does Katya mean?
Katya is a Russian pet form of Yekaterina (Katherine), “pure.”
What does Zora mean?
Zora means “dawn” or “daybreak” in the Slavic languages.
Katya vs Zora
Which is more popular?
Zora is more popular than Katya today: about 264 US babies were given the name Zora in 2025, compared with 42 named Katya.
| Katya | Zora | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pure | Dawn |
| Origin | Slavic | Slavic |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KAHT-yah | ZOR-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1962 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2001 (146) | 2019 (353) |
| In 2025 | 42 | 264 |
| Trend | Declining | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Katya
Zora
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Katya | Zora |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 314 | 1,845 |
| 2010s | 663 | 1,662 |
| 2000s | 1,086 | 877 |
| 1990s | 729 | 176 |
| 1980s | 226 | 63 |
| 1970s | 106 | 93 |
| 1960s | 52 | 132 |
| 1950s | 0 | 290 |
| 1940s | 0 | 435 |
| 1930s | 0 | 651 |
| 1920s | 0 | 1,103 |
| 1910s | 0 | 1,155 |
| 1900s | 0 | 679 |
| 1890s | 0 | 626 |
| 1880s | 0 | 415 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Katya or Zora more popular?
Zora is more popular than Katya today: about 264 US babies were given the name Zora in 2025, compared with 42 named Katya.
What is the difference between Katya and Zora?
Katya means Pure (Slavic origin), while Zora means Dawn (Slavic origin).
Which name is older, Katya or Zora?
In US records, Katya first appears in 1962 and Zora in 1880, so Zora has the longer recorded history.