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Cathy

Girl name · 3 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Cathy: 3 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 3 births in 1982.

Whether you see it as a pet form of Catherine or a name in its own right, Cathy found its feet in the 20th century. It ultimately shares its root with the Greek *katharos*, meaning ‘pure’. One of its most famous bearers was the beloved Scottish actress Cathy McCallum—later Cathy Tyson—best known for her starring role in *Mona Lisa*. Literature offers another iconic Cathy: the headstrong Catherine Earnshaw from Emily Brontë’s *Wuthering Heights*, often called Cathy as an intimate nickname. You’ll also find the name on the map as the River Cathy in the Scottish Highlands. For a modern twist, the spelling variations Katy or Katy-Louise have had their own moments in Scottish baby name charts.

Girl 1 of 52 years

Peak year
19823 babies
Latest (1982)
#5303 babies
Total births
3since 1982
5-year trend
≈ stablevs prior 5y
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 1982 · 3
Births per year in Scotland. Missing years had a count of 2 or fewer (suppressed by NRS).