Meaning: Its source is Katarina, a Scandinavian name meaning "Pure."

Narrative: This Danish variation of Katarina was introduced to America by Scandinavian settlers. It was adopted by Americans of all nationalities, reaching the zenith of its popularity in the middle of the twentieth century.

One commentator believes its popularity rose and fell with that of sound-alike names Sharon and Darren, citing the name's many alternate spellings as evidence of the popularity of the ''-ren'' sound.