Katerina is a common Greek female name, deriving from the name Ekaterini. The history and etymology of the name is a subject of debate, as there are several options: The most common and popular is that name Katerina comes from the ancient Greek word katharsis which means “to purge” and “to cleanse”. According to other theories the name comes from the Greek Goddess Ekati, while others believe that it comes from the word hekateros, which means each one of the two.
Sound of the name Katerina: Ka-te-ri’-na
Nameday of name Katerina: November 25th
Male Version of Name Katerina: N/A
Origin of Name Katerina – Saint Katherine
Name Katerina comes from Ekaterini of Alexandria, also known as Saint Katherine. She lived in Alexandria during the reign of Maximinus at the beginning of the 4th century.
Ekaterini was a very intellectual person, very well educated and adept at Latin and Greek philology. She was attracted by the Christian Religion from her early years and she worked with great enthusiasm for the propagation and diffusion of the new religion.
Ekaterini was also very beautiful woman and famous for both her wisdom and her beauty. Ekaterini’ life is full of legends about her, although little has true historical basis. According to the Church though, she visited the Emperor Maxentius and tried to persuade him that the persecutions of Christians were wrong; she managed to convince his wife to embrace Christianity but the Emperor ordered that she was imprisoned.
Ekaterini died on the breaking wheel, an instrument of torture and thus became a martyr of the Church.
Nicknames deriving from the name Katerina – Ekaterini
Ekaterini, the full name has many nicknames, such as: Katerina, Katia, Kaiti, Katina, Katinio, Kaitoula, Rina, Ria, Karen, Kalotina, Katingo, Katinga, Ekaterina, Katherine.
The Names’ Fairy reveals the meaning of the name Katerina
Katerina looks younger than her age usually. She is usually torn between practical and theoretical tasks and she is adept at writing. Katerina is a strong character and can face difficulties with her mental strength.