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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Katherine

89 replies

StrawberryCat · 11/07/2018 10:50

We think we might have chosen Kate as our top fave name, but would probably want Katherine on the BC (I know we dont necessarily need to but at the moment DH is keen to). But what do you think of Katherine and how would you spell it?
Katherine, Catherine or Kathryn?

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PuppyMonkey · 11/07/2018 20:57

“One of my best friends called Catherine and I’ve always felt sorry for her.”

Grin
weegiemum · 11/07/2018 20:24

I have a wonderful, elegant, artistic and loving 18 year old called Katherine, known as Kathy, though she's thinking of going back to Katherine for uni. Her nickname was her choice, her choice to ditch it. I thought she might want Kate, but she never has.

HotSauceCommittee · 11/07/2018 20:20

I’d go for the “normal” Catherine spelling; I’m a Kathryn and it’s a bloody nuisance. It sounds the same, so the spelling make no odds to me. If I was a Catherine, like everyone assumes you to be, it would mean the 95% of folk who write that down as my name would be correct. No one assumes you spell it “Kathryn”.

TinDogTavern · 11/07/2018 20:12

I’m a Katharine and I go by Kate and I love my spelling (named after Katharine Hepburn). I’m late 40s and have never once been called Kath-reen, although occasionally when I lived in the midlands called Katha-r-eye-n, to rhyme with sign. Weird.

redexpat · 11/07/2018 19:36

I am a Katherine and I hate it. I've always been called Kate and Katy. Any time I do get called Katherine it sounds like another person. If you want to call her Kate, just put Kate on the BC. As soon as my mother dies I am changing my name legally.

Pemba · 11/07/2018 19:01

It's a great name, whatever spelling you choose, classic and hardly controversial. I think your ''sympathy is unnecessary and a bit odd Tatiana

TatianaLarina · 11/07/2018 18:49

Don’t like any of them. One of my best friends called Catherine and I’ve always felt sorry for her.

Greggers2017 · 11/07/2018 18:47

I'm a Katherine known as Kate, nobody has ever called me Cathy or cath. I've also never heard of Cath reen either.
Mancunian dad, Irish Mum, grew up in Yorkshire, went to uni in Sunderland and london and live in the midlands 🤷‍♀️

DramaAlpaca · 11/07/2018 18:44

Katherine or Catherine for me. Katherine if you want to shorten to Kate. Not Kathryn. I've also never heard the Cath-reen pronunciation.

katmunchkin · 11/07/2018 18:44

I'm a Katherine known as Katy x

MikeUniformMike · 11/07/2018 18:40

I have heard CATH-reen too.
I think the Kathryn pronunciation is more with those born after 1950.

PuppyMonkey · 11/07/2018 18:31

Horatio - you’re probably not older than me. Grin

Cath-reen used to be the standard? Confused
Not with anyone I know (born in Notts, both parents and large extended family Irish).

Are you getting it mixed up with Kathleen? Or do you just know a lot of drunk people? Grin

LucyFox · 11/07/2018 16:00

Katherine is nicer for the nickname Kate than Catherine
I generally find that Kathryn either gets shortened to Kath or is always Kathryn
You could use Katelyn (though not my preference) if you want Kate but a longer name

Pottytoes · 11/07/2018 15:48

I know quite a few. The C spelling is most common and the Ks solit between the ine and yn spellings.
Most are known by their full names. One is a Kath 2 are Kathys and I know a couple of Cats.

Icklepup · 11/07/2018 15:36

Makes me think catheter but still prefer Catherine

Jj2431 · 11/07/2018 15:31

Katherine

harrietm87 · 11/07/2018 15:26

Catherine

cptartapp · 11/07/2018 15:00

Catherine. Cate as a nn

LaMainDeFatima · 11/07/2018 14:57

Katherine

AlliKaneErikson · 11/07/2018 14:57

Meant to add that I’ve also never heard Kath-reen as a pronunciation, and I know dozens of Katherine/Catherines of all ages, up to age 70 plus.

BevBrook · 11/07/2018 14:56

I would go for Katharine.

AlliKaneErikson · 11/07/2018 14:54

I’m just Kate and I’m glad I’m not a Katherine. If you want the ‘full’ name, I prefer it with a K (and Katherine or Katharine rather tha Kathryn)

Pemba · 11/07/2018 14:52

In my fifties, grew up with my cousin and best friend Catherine and loads of Catherines/Kathryns etc at school and also never heard of anyone using 'kath-reen' as the pronunciation. This was in the English Midlands though and I see you say you're in Scotland Horatio and this might explain it but still - you would have thought I'd have heard of it! Maybe it was specific to a particular area of Scotland?

Personally I now prefer Katharine, like Katharine Hepburn. Apparently that's the form closest to the Greek origins of the name.

HoratioNightboy · 11/07/2018 13:55

I have literally never heard anyone call a Katherine/Catherine "Kath-reeen."

Haven't you? It used to be the standard, although it does seem as if "inn" is becoming the most common now. I'm probably much older than you though. All the ones I know who use their full name are Cath-reen, however they are all aged 45+.

Phillipa12 · 11/07/2018 13:19

Im a Catherine, mum wanted the K spelling but dad wanted the C spelling so it couldnt be shortened, i have also never been called Cath! Whichever way she will always have to say its Catherine with a C/Katherine with a K.