Katherine or Catherine?

[gail734]

I've already called my DD (4 months) Katherine. I wanted to give her a name that she could DO something with, IYSWIM. You may be able to guess my name from my "NN". I've never appreciated it's one-syllable plainness! My reasoning for going with the K rather than the C is this: many Katherines become Katie or Kate and I don't really "get" how Catherine becomes Kate, in the manner of Catherine Middleton. I mean I know William leads to Billy, but... After telling people our name choice we received loads of nice "new baby" cards written to "Catherine". No biggie, but have I given the girl a tedious, lifelong problem? Also, if you look at the two different spellings, do they create different impressions in your mind?

[HaggisMcNeeps]

To me Katherine becomes Katie/Katy.
Catherine becomes Cathy.

[buttercrumble]

Catherine with a C like mine, it seems harder with a K. People always use my full name and i have grown to love it as i've got older....

[Yellowchair]

Katherine becomes Kate,Katie and Catherine becomes Cathy or Cat. I like both but love Kate so would go with Katherine.

[HoratiaWinwood]

Catherine becomes Kate because they start with the same sound. Um, duh. That's like the old "we want to call him Zack so we spelt his full name Izack instead of Isaac" argument which makes my eyes bleed. If you are very anxious about spelling you have to choose a name that only ever has one - Polly perhaps.

K or C is just a matter of taste. I vastly prefer Catherine because I irrationally dislike all K names but I know Catherines, Cathryns, Kathryns and Katherines. The spelling has made no difference to the name they are known by - full name or Kate/Katie/Cathy/etc.

Congratulations on your baby girl. You have given her an actual proper name with a standard spelling: she will be fine.

[janey1234]

Despite my nickname, my first name is actually Katherine. I have never been called Katherine though: as a child I shortened it to Katie, then when I got to about 14 I decided to change it to Kate to sound more grown up. I'm now a Kate amongst friends and colleagues, and Aunty Katie to my nieces and nephews. I love the choice my parents gave me, and love Katherine, Katie and Kate. I think you've chosen very well and your DD will thank you for it.

[kenanddreary]

Love this name and I prefer it with a 'K' although it is hard to say why! Somehow it looks more elegant written down. Great choice.

[MrsBungleBear]

I've two friends called Catherine. One is cat, the other is cate.

I prefer the c as it seems softer.

[LadyLetch]

I have a Katherine, spelt with a K for exactly the same reasons as you. Every day, she has got a nickname, so I rarely introduce her to people by her full name, but when I need to fill out forms etc, I just usually say " Katherine with a K" and most people seem to get it right from there.

It's no hardship, and it is a great name :)

[MaryAstor]

To quote Anne Shirley:

Katherine with a "K" is so much more alluring than Catherine with a "C." A "C" always looks so smug.

And a lifetime of mis-spellings is neither here nor there really, she'll just get used to saying, "My names Katherine - with a K" to folk on the telephone.

[Sharpkat]

I am Katherine. Family call me Katy or Kate. Colleagues all call me Katherine. Love it and think it looks much better than Catherine. Just looks stronger. Does depend on surname. I have a VERY common surname so needed something that looks strong if you get what I mean

[cathpip]

My mum insisted on Catherine with a C as it could not be shortened to Katie, and it has never been shortened but if people do not ask for the spelling they do mostly start my name with a K. Its not really that much of a hardship saying its Catherine with a C...

[janey1234]

Ah, another reason I always loved Anne of green gables - great taste in names!

[SorrelForbes]

I'm a Katharine and it's never been shortened. I do have to say "with a K and an A" all the time though!

[zozzle]

Katharine is nicest with an "a" IMO.

[Lebkuchenfan]

Much easier to have the same initial for full name and nickname (e.g. Catherine -> Cathy, Katharine -> Kate, Katy) especially when it comes to labelling clothes with name tags (initial.surname).

I'm surprised how popular these different spellings are as mumsnets' normal response to such names is "she'll spend her life spelling her name" .