At a Glance: Name: Cathy – Meaning: affectionate short form of Catherine – Origin: English (pet form) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: KATH-ee
Cathy is an English (pet form) girl's name meaning “affectionate short form of Catherine”. It appears in our list of Romantic Girl Names That Sound Like Love Letters.
Meaning & Origin of Cathy
Meaning: Affectionate short form of Catherine.
Origin: English (pet form).
A common claim: Commonly said to mean 'pure', as a form of Catherine Actually: The 'pure' meaning is a folk-etymology linking Catherine to Greek katharos ('pure'); Catherine's actual root is uncertain/debated, so 'pure' isn't a confirmed original meaning.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Cathy
Phonetic: KATH-ee IPA: /ˈkæθi/
Popularity of Cathy
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1918–2024.
Lists That Include Cathy
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