NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Katey

A diminutive form of Katherine, from the Greek meaning "pure.".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Katey is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Katey popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4763, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 21 births.

This profile covers 207 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 1996 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 19% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 236 living people in the UK are called Katey. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Katey ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales in 2016, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 21 girls were registered as Katey.
  • Katey ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #802 in 2010.
  • About 236 living people in the UK are estimated to have Katey as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4763

2016

Births in 2016

4

Latest year

Peak year

1998

21 births

Estimated living

236

2026

Meaning

What does Katey mean?

The name Katey is an English diminutive form of the name Katherine. Katherine itself is derived from the ancient Greek name Aikaterine, which is a combination of the Greek words "katharos" meaning "pure" and "hekatos" meaning "each of the two." The name was likely introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the Middle Ages, the name Katherine became associated with the cult of St. Catherine of Alexandria, an early Christian martyr. St. Catherine was venerated as the patron saint of philosophers, preachers, and theologians, and her legendary life story made the name popular across Europe.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Katey dates back to the 16th century. One notable historical figure with this name was Katey Walker (1804-1872), an American entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded the Madame Walker Manufacturing Company, which produced hair care products and cosmetics for African American women.

Another famous Katey was Katey Sagal (born 1954), an American actress and singer-songwriter best known for her roles in the television series "Married... with Children" and "Sons of Anarchy." She has won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

In the world of sports, Katey Martin (born 1984) is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Minnesota Lynx and the Seattle Storm. She was a member of the U.S. national team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

In literature, Katey Sagal (1936-2020) was an American novelist and short story writer. Her works often explored themes of family, identity, and the immigrant experience. She was a recipient of the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Finally, in the field of music, Katey Sagal (1921-2001) was a renowned American jazz singer and songwriter. She was known for her unique vocal style and her collaborations with some of the greatest jazz musicians of her time, including Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Katey over time

The chart below shows babies named Katey registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Katey, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2016, compared with 21 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Katey
05111621199620062016

Decades

Katey by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Katey was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #4590 23 5
2000s #2054 110 10
1990s #1102 74 4

Geography

Where Katey is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Katey. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Katey ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #802 in 2010.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Katey in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#802 in 2010

9 years of NRS records, 31 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Katey

  • Katey Turner

    association football player

    1996-

Related

Names similar to Katey

FAQ

Katey: questions and answers

How popular is the name Katey in the UK right now?

In 2016, Katey was ranked #4763 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Katey most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 21 babies registered as Katey in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Katey?

A diminutive form of Katherine, from the Greek meaning "pure.".

How many people are called Katey in the UK?

A total of 207 babies have been registered as Katey across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 31 more in Scotland.

Where is Katey most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Katey ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #802 in 2010. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.