Meaning: Its source is Aikaterine, a Greek name meaning "Pure."

Languages: This girl's name is used in German, Spanish, Hungarian, Hawaiian, Serbian, Croatian and Swedish.

Nicknames: Karen, Katinka and Katica

Alternative Spellings: Kataryna and Kateryna

Variant Forms: Katariin, Katerine, Katrina and Katrinka

Popularity: The name Katarina ranked 732nd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics.

Narrative: This meaning assumes the source name was derived from the Greek term katharos. However, it may have evolved from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of magic. Another possible source is katateinô, the Greek word for torture.

All three meanings might have been associated with St. Aikaterine (Katherine) of Alexandria, who was born a pagan but died as a Christian martyr.