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Catriana

Say it isn't so! This drop-dead gorgeous name is so rare it was only given to 6 girls in 1998, and that's it. And yes, she's legit. As is the case with Katherine/Catherine, Katriana is another option, both a variant spelling of Catriona. Catriona is the Irish and Scottish way to spell Catrina, from Katherine, meaning "pure." Catriona is pronounced kuh-TREE-nah. Caitria is another version of the name used in Ireland.

Catriana can be found at least once in a published work - The Celtic Monthly.

What isn't so clear is the intended pronunciation of Catriana. Did someone see Catriona in Ireland and mistake the pronunciation for kah-tree-ON-uh, then take the name elsewhere as Catriana (kah-tree-AH-nah)? Is it just a case of name typo? Or down another path, did someone first intend it as a different spelling for Catrina, independently of Catriona? Similar events led to the family of Caterina/Catarina, Catherina/Catharina, Cathryn/Kathryn etc. If you take a look at the multitude of names related to Katherine, especially the Sardinian version Caderina, it's a wonder Catriana hasn't been noticed by anyone. The absence of clarity on this name's spelling origin, undoubtedly because it is so rare, is actually a bonus. You can choose how you want to pronounce it.
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  1. AnonymousJuly 20, 2017 at 2:03 AM

    It is a really nice name - being I love cats - I see the 'Cat' part first :) and do like the name Catherine (tho, spelled with a "K" more so) I'm not fond of the name Ana/Anna really but I like how it sounds: Cat-tri-ana. Pronouncing it - it sounds Russian almost. Very interesting it hasn't been used since 1998!

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  2. Carrie-AnneJuly 24, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    I have a Russian character named Katriyana, who goes by Kat to stand out from the crowd and avoid being yet another Katya. I found the name in Felice Holman's book The Wild Children.

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