Kathi
A girl's name with 10,109 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
A 20th-century variant of Kathy, diminutive of the female given name Katherine and related names.
Kathi is a girl's baby name of Greek origin, a variant of Kathy, a diminutive of Katherine, from the Greek Aikaterinē, often interpreted as meaning 'pure' via the Greek katharos. The -i ending was a 1960s and 70s styling choice that felt fresh and modern at the time.
Kathi was part of the Kathy/Cathi/Kathi cluster popular in mid-century America. It has an unpretentious, friendly quality — a no-fuss name for a no-fuss era.
EtymologyShow more
Names travel. They cross oceans, change spelling, shift pronunciation, and accumulate new associations with each culture that adopts them. Kathi does not map cleanly to a single linguistic tradition in our records, which often indicates a name that has crossed cultural boundaries, been adapted between languages, or emerged from the blending that defines American naming.
With 10,109 recorded U.S. births, Kathi has clearly resonated across communities. Names that reach this level of adoption typically carry a sound that works in multiple accents and cultural contexts — a kind of phonetic universality.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Kathi has 60+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1938.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | #16614 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 60 | #10503 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 213 | #4567 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 830 | #1554 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 3,318 | #594 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 4,863 | #438 | ▲ |
| 1940s | 805 | #1133 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 15 | #3738 | — |
The Story of Kathi
A Baby Boomer name
Peaking in 1958, Kathi is a timeless Baby Boomer name. Girls named Kathi are most likely born between 1948 and 1968.
How rare is Kathi?
Kathi has 10,109 recorded births in the U.S. — a well-established name with deep roots.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1938, peaked in the 1950s with 4,863 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Kathi by the numbers
- Would fill 211 school buses
- Meeting one Kathi per day would take 27.7 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(60 years, 1938–2001)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5 | #16614 |
| 1999 | 5 | #15568 |
| 1998 | 7 | #11744 |
| 1994 | 6 | #12554 |
| 1993 | 9 | #9098 |
| 1992 | 11 | #7765 |
| 1991 | 7 | #10817 |
| 1990 | 15 | #5972 |
| 1989 | 10 | #7711 |
| 1988 | 10 | #7391 |
| 1987 | 13 | #5755 |
| 1986 | 14 | #5305 |
| 1985 | 21 | #3914 |
| 1984 | 19 | #4065 |
| 1983 | 27 | #3093 |
| 1982 | 27 | #3213 |
| 1981 | 37 | #2545 |
| 1980 | 35 | #2673 |
| 1979 | 40 | #2359 |
| 1978 | 42 | #2211 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kathi a boy's or girl's name?
When was Kathi most popular?
How popular is the name Kathi?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1938–2001