Catherine

Meaning

The name is commonly linked to Greek katharos, meaning “pure,” which fits the long Christian tradition around Saint Catherine. In the excerpted 19th-century source, St. Jerome’s explanation also connects it with Syriac kethar/kathar, “a crown,” because of her “triple crown” of martyrdom, virginity, and wisdom. It has long been used in English and was especially popular in France, Switzerland, and England.

Origin

Fun fact

One excerpt notes the Swiss contraction Ziisi-Ketti for Susanne-Catherine, calling it quaint.