Cathi

Meaning & origin

Cathi is a spelling variant of Cathy, a mid-20th century diminutive of Catherine. It first entered U.S. birth records in 1942 and saw its peak of popularity in 1961, when it was most frequently given. Since then, usage has declined sharply; the name is now stable at very low numbers, and there were too few births in the most recent years to calculate a 1-in-N rate or rank. The variant spelling Cathi was one of several that emerged during the popularity of Cathy (as in the comic strip character Cathy, which debuted in 1976), but the name's roots go back centuries through Catherine. In its peak decade of the 1960s, it was a familiar choice, though it never reached the top 1,000 nationally. This particular spelling is less common than Cathy or Kathy, giving it a slightly more distinctive feel.

Cathi is a spelling variant of Cathy, itself a diminutive of Catherine. Catherine derives from the Greek name Aikaterinē, of uncertain etymology, but long associated with the Greek word katharos, meaning 'pure'. The name was borne by several early Christian saints, including Saint Catherine of Alexandria, which popularized it across Europe. In English-speaking countries, Cathy and its variant spellings like Cathi became especially common in the mid-20th century.