Katherine

Katherine comes from the Greek Aikaterine, linked since early Christian times with the word katharos, "pure." It has been worn by Russian empresses, English queens, Hepburns, and Mansfields, and it holds the distinction of being one of a small handful of girls' names that has stayed in the American top 200 for more than a century. Katherine currently sits around 175. Three measured syllables and an elegant central th, with a deep bench of nicknames: Kate, Katie, Kit, Kay. Intelligent, dignified, unshowy. A name that wears a blazer and reads Russian novels on long flights.