Christian Meaning of Names

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Katherine

Name pronunciation: KATH-eh-rin or KATH-rin
Origin of name: Greek
Meaning of name: pure, clean, chaste

The Story Behind This Historical Christian Name

There are not actually any characters in the Bible named Katherine. However, the name has a rich Christian historical heritage, and likely originated with the Greek word “katharos”, which was translated as “pure” or “clean” in the New Testament.

Several Catherine’s through the ages have been sainted, including:

• Saint Catherine of Alexandria (4th century, one of the first Christian saints)
• Saint Catherine of Bologna (1413-1463)
• Saint Catherine of Genoa (circa 1447-1510)
• Saint Catherine Laboure (1806-1876)
• Saint Catherine of Ricci, O.P. (1522-1590)
• Saint Catherine of Siena, O.P. (Doctor of the Church, 1347-1380)
• Saint Catherine of Sweden (circa 1332-1381)

Some Scriptures for the Greek Word Katharos

To give you an idea of the way this Greek word was used, here are some examples of its use in the scriptural context:

• “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
• “Now you are clean through the word that I have spoken to you.” – John 15:3
• “Now to the pure all things are pure…” – Titus 1:15 (partial)
• “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” – James 1:27
• “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” – Revelation 19:8
• “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” – Revelation 22:1

Variations of the Baby Name Katherine

Girl names: Catherine, Kate, Katie, Kathereen, Kathleen, Kathy, Ekaterina, Ekaterin, Cat, Kitty
Boy names: Kata

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