Meaning Origin of the Name Catriona

The name Catriona is the Scottish Gaelic form of the English name Katherine. It should also be noted that this name widely varies in spelling, including Caitriona, Caitrionaugh, Catrina, and Katrionaugh, to list only a few. Although it may seem difficulty to ascertain the meaning of Catriona, it is actually derived from the word for pure.

When looking across the list of the most popular Scottish names for girls, Catriona’s popularity has it lagging far behind many other names. Despite this fact, several noteworthy people have been blessed to bear this particular name, including:

• Catriona Forrest A field hockey player from Scotland.
• Catriona Matthews A Scottish pro golfer among the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA.
• Catriona Shearer A national news correspondent for BBC Scotland.
• Caitriona O’Reilly An Irish poet, critic, and archeologist. She won the Rooney Award for her collection of poetry, “The Nowhere Birds” and is currently Poet-in-Residence at Wake Forrest University.
• Catriona MacInnes A Scottish film-maker and graduate of MFA
• Catriona Mary Grant A Scottish politician who founded and co-chaired the Scottish Socialist Party.

Popularity

Catriona was the 254th most popular baby girl’s name in Scotland in 2012.

Useful Resources

• See our comprehensive guide to Scottish girls’ names