Catherine or Kathryn?

kardacheyenne · 2022-06-03T21:18:08+00:00

Pros and cons? Is one harder to spell? Is it harder for a Catherine to be Katie? What about Katharine or Katherine or Cathryn even?

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Ravenclawdropout · 17/06/2022 15:27

I like Catherine as its the traditional spelling in England because when it arrived there was no K in the language at that time.

RenegadeMatron · 16/06/2022 00:44

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 15/06/2022 14:16

I'd say it definitely competes with Alistair for name with most spelling variations.

Sorry, I’ve got to strongly refute that. I think my name takes that honour out.

Think ‘necessary on a bike?’

Is, Os, As, Ys, Ss, Zs and extra Ls and Es - all up for grabs. No-one, in the history of ever, has spelt my name correctly first go.

As for the OP - Catherine is head and shoulders above the others.

AuntTwacky · 16/06/2022 00:42

Katharine

NashvilleQueen · 16/06/2022 00:34

Catherine. And if we're doing the wives I'll go with Parr!

ozymandiusking · 16/06/2022 00:22

I like Katherine best of all.

sixthformdropout · 16/06/2022 00:14

I think Catherine is the nicest personally

PhotoDad · 15/06/2022 23:01

So.... my DD is Katharine. Because that's closest to the Greek original. When we registered her with the dentist, I said (on the phone), "that's Katharine... with a K and two As."

Her medical records there are now for "Kaatherine."

Theoldwoman · 15/06/2022 14:37

Neither.

I only would use Katharine. Much prefer Kate though.

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 15/06/2022 14:16

I'd say it definitely competes with Alistair for name with most spelling variations.

ChnandlerBong · 15/06/2022 14:13

I am a 'Katherine' but spelled a way no one has even suggested on here.

As a name it's a pain as it's always being spelled wrong. I would never inflict it on a child and have given my kids names which are easy to spell. There is just zero value add to it - given that they are pronounced the same?

Catherine of Aragon was actually Spanish so was probably Catalina/Catarina anyway!

think it's from the Greek katharos so surely that should be a guide on how to spell it if you insists?

TryingToBeUnique · 15/06/2022 12:01

Shakespeare used a ‘K’ @larkstar.
Anyway, if it’s from the Greek ΚΑΘΑΡΟΣ then Katharine makes sense.

larkstar · 15/06/2022 11:28

I prefer Catherine with a C - I don't like any of the complications introduced with using a K or a Y. I think Catherine is the oldest, most traditional and popular spelling - check out the googles NGram data - it charts the use of words over time in printed matter.

books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Catherine%2C+Katherine%2C+Kathryn&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2CCatherine%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CKatherine%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CKathryn%3B%2Cc0

Alarae · 15/06/2022 11:23

I know a Katharine and a Kathryn. Both pronounced the same, both shortened to Kat.

I also know a Catherine. Also shortened to Cat.

If you wanted Katie, as a natural nickname I would probably derive that from Katharine. Considering the Duchess of Cambridge has a Kate nickname though, perhaps it's not too much of an intuitive leap nowadays.

TryingToBeUnique · 15/06/2022 11:16

And ‘Katharine with a kicking kuh’ is a good way for a girl to introduce herself.

TryingToBeUnique · 15/06/2022 11:08

K is a better initial than C eg JK Rowling. Using a y just looks illiterate.
I like Katharine.

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 15/06/2022 11:07

I agree with Anne Shirley that Catherine with a C looks smug. Katherine would be my choice.

babyjellyfish · 15/06/2022 11:04

MeMe3Spoons · 15/06/2022 11:03

If you are planning to call her Katie why not just have that as her official name. I have a long traditional name but everyone knows me only by the shortened version. They begin with a different letter and when I put my initial on anything at work people are a bit confused! My cousin is named 'Kate', no short version, long version or having to spell it, just 'Kate'. I envy her sometimes 😊

I have the long version and the short version and much prefer having both!

Especially since the short version I use now isn't the same as the one my parents used for me when I was little.

MeMe3Spoons · 15/06/2022 11:03

If you are planning to call her Katie why not just have that as her official name. I have a long traditional name but everyone knows me only by the shortened version. They begin with a different letter and when I put my initial on anything at work people are a bit confused! My cousin is named 'Kate', no short version, long version or having to spell it, just 'Kate'. I envy her sometimes 😊

babyjellyfish · 15/06/2022 10:49

All of these spellings are fine but I prefer Katherine.

PhotoDad · 04/06/2022 18:23

I have two simple, common, names but each with a slightly unusual spelling. I have spent my life spelling it out to people. I should have learned; but we gave our DD one of the names being discussed here! I love that it can be shortened in so many ways, but people spell it all sorts of ways.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 04/06/2022 18:19

I love the name and if we'd had a second daughter she'd have had this name, but the one tiny niggle I had was that it wouldn't be immediately obvious how to spell it. We weren't keen on anything ending in -ryn, and preferred the K over C spellings (but not by much), so the remaining issue was Katherine or Katharine. I marginally prefer the latter but the former is the more common spelling, so we might have gone for that. Never had to make the final decision as child #2 was a boy!

Sleepingb · 04/06/2022 18:18

Catherine- be a Cate? Or a Kate. This is my favourite. Don't know why!
Kathryn - my friends who are Kathryn have not been Kates. Always Kathryn.

Katherine/ Katharine - either. My friend Katherine is not a Kate either!

So there you go. And now I've written them too often and they all look weird!

yikesanotherbooboo · 04/06/2022 18:14

@moofolk I think I agree with you .

moofolk · 04/06/2022 17:01

ps lots of spellings of K Katherine / Katharine / Kathryn but when you say 'with a C' nobody spells it wrong or questions it.

moofolk · 04/06/2022 16:58

Catherine.

It's the proper way. And can still be Kate.