Katherine in Chinese
How to write Katherine in Chinese, how to say it, and real Chinese names that sound like it.
Katherine, written by sound
凯瑟琳
Kǎisèlín
- 凯kǎi“triumph”
- 瑟sè
- 琳lín
This is how Katherine is written by sound: in the news, on maps and in translated books. Each character is there for its sound, so their meanings don't add up to anything.
But it isn't a Chinese name. Chinese parents choose a name for what it means, like the ones below.
Real Chinese names that sound like Katherine
Each one echoes the sound of Katherine and means something good on its own. Tap the buttons to hear a character, watch it written, or write it yourself.
Classic name
雪莉Xuělì
snow and jasmine
xuě
snow
lì
jasmine
艹plantmeaning利lìsound
利 is said lì too.
More Chinese names for Katherine
Not as close to Katherine in sound, but each one is a real name with a meaning of its own.
Classic name
凯婷Kǎitíng
joyful and graceful
kǎi
triumphant
tíng
graceful
Classic name
依琳Yīlín
gentle, like fine jade
yī
gentle; to rely on
亻personmeaning衣yīsound
衣 is said yī too.
lín
fine jade
Stroke order follows the mainland China standard; a few characters are written differently in Taiwan.
Get your own Chinese name
Katherine, get eight real names in the style you like (classic, poetic, wuxia…) and pick the one that feels like you. It takes a minute.
How Chinese names work
The family name comes first, and it is almost always one character: 王 Wáng, 李 Lǐ, 林 Lín. A few have two, like 欧阳 Ōuyáng.
The given name follows: one or two characters, chosen for what they mean. A virtue, a flower, a wish from the parents.
So with a family name in front, 雪莉 becomes a full name such as 林雪莉 (Lín Xuělì).
About the name Katherine
In the US, Katherine was the 27th most popular girls’ name of the 1990s. In England and Wales it was number 48 in 1996 and is number 872 in 2025.
Sources: US Social Security Administration, Office for National Statistics (UK).