Preferred spelling of Catherine?

BeachBum678 · November 2014

Catherine
Katherine
Kathryn

I always liked the first one the best, but lately number 3 is growing on me. DH's grandmother was Kathlyn, so that might be influencing me a little.

KatyInNH · November 2014

Kathryn... but that's my name so I am biased.

BeachBum678 · November 2014

cstuart07 said:
Don't add Y's where there is no reason to have a Y. Catherine or Katherine are interchangeable. I prefer the C, but that's a personal bias.

Not sure I'd really consider it random, personally. That particular spelling has been around since at least the late 1800's.

I'm not really considering it for a name, btw. Just curious what everyone thought.

KatyInNH · November 2014

...Also, I think it depends on what you are using for a nn (if anything). If you are shortening it to Katie or Katy, I think the K spellings make more sense, if shortening it to Cathy then Catherine makes the most sense to me.

HeavenBlessedMom · November 2014

I'm a katherine. Have never been asked how I spell it. People just automatically spell it like that. C is the English version

[Deleted User] · November 2014

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BeachBum678 · November 2014

mjreilly2 said:
Catherine

Catherine can still be Kate or Katie. They aren't limited to Cathy or Cat.

I think Kate Middleton is actually a Catherine?

Edit: words are hard

ashiscute · November 2014

I prefer Catherine.

LadyXaverian · November 2014

1. Catherine

2. Katherine

3. Kathryn

capulet · November 2014

I prefer Catherine, but if we used the name (which I think is on our girl list) we would probably spell it Katherine because that spelling has been used in DH's family.

rowboat4 · November 2014

I'm probably in the minority on this board but I've always preferred it spelled Katherine. But both Catherine and Katherine are equally legitimate spellings.

divinemsbee · November 2014

Another vote for Catherine here.

Helenahhandbasket · November 2014

Catherine-- it seems softer/ more feminine to me.

I actually don't mind Kathryn-- it is a variant, but it has a history to it. I just personally would never use it because you would have to say, "It's Kathryn. With a K. And a Y."

Helenahhandbasket · November 2014

pavlovcat said:

It's really not a hardship. Everyone asks if it's spelled with a K or a C anyway. Saying, "With a K and a Y" takes all of 2 seconds. From what I've read, the name originates in the 4th century and there were always many spellings. Katherine and Catherine became more popular in the middle ages, but that doesn't make them more legitimate.

It's not that it takes a long time to say, I just think that the OP should consider she will have to specify that every time she has to spell her child's name, and as the child ages, she will have to do that as well.

If it's worth it to her, so be it.

NicoleWI · November 2014

My DD1 is Katherine, NN Katie. Just want to throw in that there is also "Katharine," i.e. Katharine Hepburn, and my OB's first name.

BeachBum678 · November 2014

Helenahhandbasket said:

pavlovcat said:

It's really not a hardship. Everyone asks if it's spelled with a K or a C anyway. Saying, "With a K and a Y" takes all of 2 seconds. From what I've read, the name originates in the 4th century and there were always many spellings. Katherine and Catherine became more popular in the middle ages, but that doesn't make them more legitimate.

It's not that it takes a long time to say, I just think that the OP should consider she will have to specify that every time she has to spell her child's name, and as the child ages, she will have to do that as well.

If it's worth it to her, so be it.

Just to clarify, I'm not pregnant and wouldn't use Catherine in any of its forms (don't like the "-ine" ending with DD1, Josephine, and while I don't mind Kathryn it's NMS.) I meant it to be more of a general what-would-the board-say question.

Edit: word choice

Helenahhandbasket · November 2014

OP, that's really interesting.

I have a Josephine also, but Catherine doesn't bother me with Josephine because even though they both end in "ine" they don't rhyme.

So if you do have another DD, I don't think you should throw out Catherine/ Kathryn/ Katherine

conradraging · November 2014

Catherine, no contest.

4N6s · November 2014

Katherine.

Ace226 · November 2014

I prefer Katherine and it's actually one of our girl names!

parenthood4 · November 2014

I like Katherine best, but DD's middle name is Kathryn because that's how my mom's name is spelled. Without that, I wouldn't have used the y though

thejollyrancher · November 2014

**lurking**

consider Katharine

I may be biased but it's hands down the best spelling of the name.

Spring78 · November 2014

Since everyone is admitting their biases... I am biased on this one, too. Catherine with a C hands-down, 100%... But it is my middle name, hence the bias. Always wished it was my first name I love it so much.

rowboat4 · November 2014

thejollyrancher said:
**lurking**

consider Katharine I may be biased but it's hands down the best spelling of the name.

I actually prefer it most this way, then Katherine second.

harmonicbabe26 · November 2014

Katherine! Obv love it best...my DD's name.

misskaydee · November 2014

Kathryn!

nlscroggins · November 2014

katherine is my favorite.

queenbone · November 2014

Katherine. (Becasue AoGG has convinced me that the C looks so smug.)

Kathryn0821 · November 2014

Kathryn but I'm biased, as it's my name. People butcher the name regardless of spelling.

And I was named after Miss Hepburn, so my parents got it wrong.

Whatever you do, don't add an E: Katheryn (ew?!)

I was a Kathy growing up and then became Kat. Never liked Kate or Katie for myself.

Summermags0522 · November 2014

Kathryn is a family name in my family and spelling it with a "Y" doesn't mean it is not nexessary or that it is trendy. I prefer it with a Y and maybe that's because that is the way that I am used to seeing it. Some like it spelled Catherine but, to me, that looks like it is spelled wrong

No matter tha way you choose, it's correct.

racheldiaries · November 2014

Kathryn > Catherine > Katherine

KStar21 · November 2014

Catherine, Katherine, and Kathryn in that order.

BLPL101 · November 2014

Katherine followed by Catherine and Kathryn. I love this name BTW. All the spellings are pretty

RachiCakes · November 2014

My DD is Kathryn...she is named after my mom though so that is why it is spelled that way. I've come to prefer it only bc it's what I'm used to.

melco19 · November 2014

I prefer Katherine

oliversbear · November 2014

I prefer either of the K spellings, but then I tend to when the sound is a hard C rather an a soft one.

And I prefer names that have a y where it's appropriate and acceptable. Kathryn is a perfectly legitimate spelling of the name. I know y's are trendy these days, but Kathryn pre-dates the trend.

Given then choice, I'd go for Kathryn, then Katherine with Catherine a distant, really, really distant, third.

capulet · November 2014

ICarriedAWatermelon said:

HeavenBlessedMom said:

I'm a katherine. Have never been asked how I spell it. People just automatically spell it like that. C is the English version

Internets say C is the Greek version.

It's basically a matter of whether you prefer to transliterate the Greek kappa as a C or K. English represents the hard c sound with two different letters. The behindthename.com article on Katherine is really interesting and explains why there are so many variations in spelling (e vs. a in the second syllable, etc).

MrsPDX · November 2014

I prefer Kathryn.

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