Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Katrina

Katrina is the German and Scandinavian form of Katherine. Borne by a popular 4th century Christian saint martyred in Alexandria, Egypt, Catherine became a favorite girl’s name in medieval times as the cult of St. Catherine spread. The etymology of Catherine is debated, but it is possible she shares her roots with the name Hecate, Greek goddess of the wilderness, childbirth, and the crossroads. Alternately, the Greek name “Aikaterina” has led to speculation that the name is derived from the Greek “aikia” meaning “torture”, but this is not widely held. The 4th-Century Saint Catherine of Alexandria, nicknamed “the pure one”, was a Christian martyr tortured on the wheel for upholding her religious beliefs. The “h” in the English form was introduced in the 16th century, a folk etymology dating back to Roman times when Katherine was associated with the Greek “katharos” meaning “pure”. Our modern use of the Greek-derived “catharsis,” (to purge or cleanse), also lends to C/Katherine's association with ideas of purity and innocence. Today there are several forms of the name Catherine in circulation among English speakers. Catherine is typically considered the French spelling; Katherine the English; Caitlin the Gaelic; Kathleen the anglicized Irish; Karen the Scandinavian; and Catalina the Spanish (to name only a few). Katrina is most popular with the Germans, Swedish and Dutch.

All About the Baby Name – Katrina

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME KATRINA

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME KATRINA

American parents discovered Katrina in 1945 which is the year she made her debut on the female naming charts. Over the next three decades, the name continued her ascent up the graph until reaching her peak popularity during the 1980s (often hitting the Top 100 list). After achieving her highest point on the list at position #87 in 1982 (possibly influenced by the band Katrina and the Waves), Katrina then began to reverse her course and slowly fade from fashion. Of course Americans now strongly associate this name with Hurricane Katrina (2005) – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Remember, the hurricane was so devastating because it was so powerful. So now when we hear the name Katrina we can choose to think of something with Category Five strength and power. Remember Hurricane Andrew (1992)? People still give the name Andrew to their baby boys. Maybe we just need more time. It’s very clear to us that American parents are now really turned off by the name Katrina all thanks to that horrible 2005 hurricane. How do we know? From 2006 onwards, Katrina has seen her biggest annual drops in usage since she first appeared on the charts in the mid-40s. Parents are seriously running away from this name in droves. Finally in 2011 Katrina disappeared from the Top 1000 list completely – apparently gone for good. If it wasn’t for that damn hurricane we’re certain Katrina would still be a moderate favorite. Unfortunately this is just her fate.

Quick Facts

ON KATRINA

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

German

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

942

PRONUNCIATION:

kaht-REE-nah

SIMPLE MEANING:

Pure one, innocent

Characteristics

OF KATRINA

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Katrina

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KATRINA

Katrina Van Tassel is the pretty, but sly-minded young heiress who uses Ichabod Crane to further her own intentions in Washington Irving’s 1820 story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. She has it all – looks, money and intelligence – and Ichabod Crane, the wily schoolmaster, wants it all. But Katrina is not to be trifled with. She herself has her eyes on the town hunk, Abraham "Brom” van Brunt, who feels likewise, thank you very much. The two men vie for her attentions at a party given by her father, where Ichabod seems to take the upper hand. Crafty Katrina, however, has been toying with Ichabod only to increase Brom’s interest in her, and she carelessly turns down Ichabod’s offer of marriage. Off into the night he goes and meets the Headless Horseman – you know the story – he is never to be seen again, Katrina and Brom marry, and Brom always has a smugly knowing look whenever the subject of Ichabod Crane comes up. Moral of the story: Don’t mess with a girl like Katrina!

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KATRINA

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Katrina


Popular Songs

ON KATRINA

Song for Katrina
a song by Steve Forbert

Oh, Katrina (Interlude)
a song by Anti-Flag

Katrina
a song by The Marvelous 3

Famous People

NAMED KATRINA

Katrina Leskanich (musician)
Katrina Elam (country musician)
Katrina Hacker (figure skater)
Katrina Bowden (actress)
Katrina “Trina” Taylor (rapper)
Katrina Darrell (American Idol contestant)

Children of Famous People

NAMED KATRINA

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Katrina

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KATRINA

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Katrina