Fun Facts About the Name Katy
- More than 20 thousand babies named Katy: U.S. records list 20,955 babies given the name Katy from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Katy - about 1 boy for every 4,190 girls.
What Does the Name Katy Mean?
Katy is a short form of Katherine, the English form of the Greek name Aikaterine. The meaning of Aikaterine itself is uncertain. The customary meaning given to Katherine - and therefore to Katy - is "pure," based on a traditional link to the Greek adjective katharos, meaning "pure" or "clean." That link appears to be a later association rather than a secure origin: the earliest form of the name had no h, and the -h- spelling may have been added partly to connect it with katharos.
Other explanations have been proposed, including a derivation from the Greek hekateros or a connection with Hekate, the goddess associated with crossroads and magic. None of these is settled, so the literal etymology stays uncertain even though "pure" is the meaning traditionally attached to the name. The spelling Katy is a variant of Katie; both are English pet forms, with -y and -ie used interchangeably in familiar names.
Katy Name History & Origins
Katy belongs to the group of English short forms of Katherine. Katherine entered English from French in the Middle Ages, and its use was reinforced by the wide veneration of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a legendary fourth-century martyr. English speakers formed many affectionate versions of the name, among them Kate, Kat, Katie, and Katy. The spelling with y follows a long-standing English habit for familiar forms, seen also in names such as Sally and Polly.
The name appears in the title of Susan Coolidge's children's book What Katy Did (1872), whose main character is Katy Carr. Katy is also the name of a town in Texas, founded as a railroad settlement in the 1890s.
How Popular is the Name Katy?
Katy recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1987. Its best rank was #351 in 1987.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,709 | 64 | 0.0040% |
| 2024 | #2,467 | 73 | 0.0045% |
| 2023 | #2,146 | 89 | 0.0056% |
| 2022 | #2,219 | 85 | 0.0052% |
| 2021 | #2,162 | 87 | 0.0053% |
| 2020 | #2,206 | 82 | 0.0051% |
| 2019 | #2,080 | 91 | 0.0054% |
| 2018 | #1,804 | 113 | 0.0066% |
| 2017 | #1,795 | 116 | 0.0067% |
| 2016 | #1,639 | 133 | 0.0075% |
| 2015 | #1,547 | 143 | 0.0080% |
| 2014 | #1,296 | 184 | 0.0103% |
| 2013 | #1,423 | 160 | 0.0091% |
| 2012 | #1,401 | 165 | 0.0094% |
| 2011 | #1,200 | 201 | 0.0114% |
| 2010 | #1,290 | 185 | 0.0104% |
| 2009 | #1,260 | 194 | 0.0106% |
| 2008 | #1,192 | 214 | 0.0113% |
| 2007 | #1,175 | 217 | 0.0113% |
| 2006 | #1,161 | 210 | 0.0110% |
| 2005 | #1,057 | 226 | 0.0122% |
| 2004 | #988 | 240 | 0.0131% |
| 2003 | #994 | 233 | 0.0128% |
| 2002 | #935 | 240 | 0.0134% |
| 2001 | #987 | 218 | 0.0121% |
| 2000 | #964 | 220 | 0.0121% |
| 1999 | #881 | 243 | 0.0137% |
| 1998 | #830 | 257 | 0.0145% |
| 1997 | #758 | 279 | 0.0160% |
| 1996 | #771 | 274 | 0.0156% |
| 1995 | #654 | 328 | 0.0187% |
| 1994 | #630 | 349 | 0.0195% |
| 1993 | #592 | 397 | 0.0219% |
| 1992 | #518 | 458 | 0.0248% |
| 1991 | #549 | 430 | 0.0229% |
| 1990 | #514 | 469 | 0.0247% |
| 1989 | #426 | 584 | 0.0317% |
| 1988 | #407 | 588 | 0.0330% |
| 1987 | #351 | 674 | 0.0388% |
| 1986 | #362 | 655 | 0.0382% |
| 1985 | #362 | 654 | 0.0380% |
| 1984 | #388 | 566 | 0.0336% |
| 1983 | #392 | 561 | 0.0336% |
| 1982 | #406 | 564 | 0.0333% |
| 1981 | #393 | 577 | 0.0346% |
| 1980 | #429 | 503 | 0.0303% |
| 1979 | #446 | 461 | 0.0287% |
| 1978 | #453 | 440 | 0.0287% |
| 1977 | #548 | 323 | 0.0211% |
| 1976 | #680 | 219 | 0.0149% |
| 1975 | #715 | 207 | 0.0142% |
| 1974 | #734 | 194 | 0.0132% |
| 1973 | #799 | 164 | 0.0112% |
| 1972 | #871 | 147 | 0.0097% |
| 1971 | #878 | 153 | 0.0092% |
| 1970 | #831 | 165 | 0.0094% |
| 1969 | #924 | 132 | 0.0078% |
| 1968 | #1,005 | 109 | 0.0066% |
| 1967 | #1,099 | 90 | 0.0055% |
| 1966 | #976 | 110 | 0.0065% |
| 1965 | #843 | 140 | 0.0079% |
| 1964 | #831 | 160 | 0.0084% |
| 1963 | #833 | 157 | 0.0081% |
| 1962 | #754 | 190 | 0.0097% |
| 1961 | #796 | 172 | 0.0085% |
| 1960 | #752 | 185 | 0.0091% |
| 1959 | #759 | 180 | 0.0089% |
| 1958 | #848 | 146 | 0.0073% |
| 1957 | #952 | 117 | 0.0057% |
| 1956 | #1,148 | 82 | 0.0041% |
| 1955 | #1,248 | 66 | 0.0034% |
| 1954 | #1,138 | 76 | 0.0039% |
| 1953 | #1,222 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 1952 | #1,230 | 60 | 0.0032% |
| 1951 | #1,126 | 69 | 0.0038% |
| 1950 | #1,057 | 76 | 0.0044% |
| 1949 | #1,179 | 60 | 0.0035% |
| 1948 | #1,003 | 76 | 0.0045% |
| 1947 | #1,018 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 1946 | #964 | 75 | 0.0048% |
| 1945 | #1,054 | 55 | 0.0042% |
| 1944 | #939 | 68 | 0.0051% |
| 1943 | #950 | 69 | 0.0049% |
| 1942 | #963 | 66 | 0.0049% |
| 1941 | #811 | 80 | 0.0066% |
| 1940 | #788 | 81 | 0.0071% |
| 1939 | #779 | 77 | 0.0070% |
| 1938 | #946 | 57 | 0.0052% |
| 1937 | #899 | 59 | 0.0055% |
| 1936 | #831 | 66 | 0.0063% |
| 1935 | #917 | 57 | 0.0054% |
| 1934 | #997 | 48 | 0.0046% |
| 1933 | #1,033 | 46 | 0.0046% |
| 1932 | #1,105 | 42 | 0.0039% |
| 1931 | #1,004 | 49 | 0.0046% |
| 1930 | #1,148 | 42 | 0.0037% |
| 1929 | #955 | 57 | 0.0051% |
| 1928 | #1,046 | 52 | 0.0045% |
| 1927 | #1,115 | 47 | 0.0039% |
| 1926 | #1,172 | 43 | 0.0036% |
| 1925 | #926 | 65 | 0.0053% |
| 1924 | #988 | 60 | 0.0048% |
| 1923 | #910 | 65 | 0.0054% |
| 1922 | #1,071 | 51 | 0.0042% |
| 1921 | #1,211 | 41 | 0.0033% |
| 1920 | #974 | 57 | 0.0048% |
| 1919 | #862 | 66 | 0.0058% |
| 1918 | #1,092 | 45 | 0.0039% |
| 1917 | #1,060 | 45 | 0.0042% |
| 1916 | #1,048 | 44 | 0.0042% |
| 1915 | #1,046 | 41 | 0.0042% |
| 1914 | #936 | 40 | 0.0053% |
| 1913 | #1,033 | 28 | 0.0045% |
| 1912 | #1,573 | 13 | 0.0023% |
| 1911 | #1,053 | 18 | 0.0043% |
| 1910 | #1,146 | 16 | 0.0040% |
| 1909 | #857 | 23 | 0.0066% |
| 1908 | #897 | 20 | 0.0060% |
| 1907 | #767 | 24 | 0.0075% |
| 1906 | #905 | 17 | 0.0058% |
| 1905 | #988 | 15 | 0.0051% |
| 1904 | #948 | 15 | 0.0054% |
| 1903 | #1,003 | 13 | 0.0050% |
| 1902 | #703 | 24 | 0.0091% |
| 1901 | #842 | 16 | 0.0067% |
| 1900 | #929 | 17 | 0.0057% |
| 1899 | #804 | 17 | 0.0073% |
| 1898 | #1,436 | 7 | 0.0027% |
| 1897 | #845 | 15 | 0.0064% |
| 1896 | #1,083 | 10 | 0.0042% |
| 1895 | #780 | 17 | 0.0073% |
| 1894 | #924 | 12 | 0.0054% |
| 1893 | #812 | 14 | 0.0066% |
| 1892 | #1,129 | 8 | 0.0038% |
| 1891 | #922 | 10 | 0.0054% |
| 1890 | #775 | 13 | 0.0068% |
| 1889 | #1,208 | 6 | 0.0034% |
| 1888 | #994 | 8 | 0.0045% |
| 1887 | #767 | 10 | 0.0069% |
| 1886 | #1,036 | 6 | 0.0042% |
| 1885 | #877 | 7 | 0.0053% |
| 1884 | #1,092 | 5 | 0.0039% |
| 1882 | #975 | 5 | 0.0046% |
| 1880 | #708 | 7 | 0.0077% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | #6,763 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
