Catherine

She may be known the world over as Kate Middleton, but the birth name of the Duchess of Cambridge is Catherine (the name she actually prefers). Of course, Kate is one of several nicknames for the name Catherine, a Greek word meaning “pure.” It’s one of the most traditional names that has consistently remained popular. Great literary and historical figures have been called Catherine, including Catherine Bennet, Heathcliff’s great love in “Wuthering Heights,” and Catherine the Great, the 18th-century Russian empress.