Katherine

Katherine is an English form of the Greek name Aikaterine, whose exact origin remains uncertain; it may derive from the Greek word katharos, meaning pure, though this connection may be a later folk etymology. The name was borne by the early Christian martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandria, whose veneration helped spread the name throughout medieval Europe. It has been a royal name in several countries, most notably through Catherine of Aragon and Catherine the Great of Russia. Related forms include Catherine, Kathryn, Kate, Karen, and the Scandinavian Katarina.