Kitty
Kitty is a girl's name of Greek origin.
Meaning
Pure.
Origin and history
Kitty originated as a diminutive of Katherine, a Greek name traditionally associated with purity. It was widely used as an independent given name in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. Today, it is used infrequently as an official name on birth certificates, though it remains a familiar nickname.
Popularity in the United States
11,657 babies in the United States have been named Kitty since 1880. It ranks #1499 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #2079.
States where it is most popular
- CA (10 %)
- TX (9.9 %)
- PA (7.3 %)
- VA (7.3 %)
- NY (7.1 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 220 |
| 1890-1900 | 302 |
| 1900-1910 | 343 |
| 1910-1920 | 759 |
| 1920-1930 | 1,109 |
| 1930-1940 | 1,205 |
| 1940-1950 | 2,235 |
| 1950-1960 | 2,553 |
| 1960-1970 | 1,575 |
| 1970-1980 | 602 |
| 1980-1990 | 279 |
| 1990-2000 | 207 |
| 2000-2010 | 143 |
| 2010-2019 | 103 |
| 2020-2029 | 22 |
Famous people named Kitty
- Kitty Carlisle: Actress, Singer
- Kitty Wells: Singer, Songwriter
Fun facts
- Kitty is a famous character name in classical literature, including Kitty Bennet in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Kitty Levin in Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.
- It originated during the Middle Ages in England as a familiar pet form of Katherine.