Not Catherine. Not Cathleen. Not Cathey. Not Cathi. Just plain ole Cathy. That’s my name, Cathy! Growing up I disliked my name TERRIBLY. Maybe, it was because there were too many Cathys. There was at least one or two other Cathys in my classroom every year. Talk about confusing, huh?
According to Think Baby Names, Cathy was most popular in 1960-1969 ranking in the top 100 baby girl names. Cathy is of Creek origin and it is a form of Katherine. In essence, Cathy is a nickname of Catherine. I do like the meaning of my name, though, which means ‘pure’.
Interesting despite Cathy being my name and being born in 1961, I never owned a Chatty Cathy doll.
Mattel manufactured the Chatty Cathy doll from 1959 through 1965. It was the 2nd most popular doll sold to time treasured, collectible Barbie Doll of the 60s. Chatty Cathy retailed for a little under $20.
Funny, Chatty Cathy refers to someone who is especially talkative. This absolutely fits me to a T. As a Cathy, I do love to talk! I can talk to just about anyone without reservation. In grade school, I always got a “C” in conduct because I wouldn’t stop talking during class. I loved talking!
While I was not a huge fan, I do draw a certain parallel relationship with the cartoon character, ‘Cathy’ debuting in the mid-1970s. Cathy Guisewite’s classic comic strip focused on making fun of or playing into the negativity associated with women. Each comic strip featured Cathy’s guilt over food, love, mom, or work. Four life experiences the typical modern woman faced in that era and often still today.
What’s kind of cool is there are songs about Cathy. Take a stroll down memory lane with these tunes!
Cathy has dropped off the popularity chart of the 60s, but it continues to grow popular with me as I no longer dislike my name. In fact, I cannot imagine my name being anything other than it is.
