I am looking for a name that (among other things) reflects my family’s [name_m]German[/name_m] and Northern European heritage.
My oldest daughter is named [name_f]Annika[/name_f].
In my name search, I found [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] which was designated as being of “[name_m]German[/name_m], Swedish, Norwegian, and/or Danish” in lineage.
BUT, the name is currently in the top 100 girl’s names in Bosnia, Croatia, and Slovenia. And sounds very similar to [name_f]Katerina[/name_f] which is Eastern European and Russian in lineage. [name_m]Even[/name_m] Nameberry has [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] as being Czech in origin…
SO! My question to you learned naming scholars is - Can [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] still reflect a [name_m]German[/name_m]/Northern European heritage (similar to [name_f]Annika[/name_f]), or is the name now more of an Eastern European/Russian ethnic flavor?
Or, put somewhat another way, does [name_f]Annika[/name_f] and [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] ([name_f]Annie[/name_f] and [name_f]Katie[/name_f]), make a good sibset or does it just sound culturally confused? (haha!)
Absolutely. [name_f]Katarina[/name_f], while not too popular, is a very common name in Germany. I know several german Katarinas. I think it also goes well with your other daughter’s name, [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] and [name_f]Annika[/name_f] are very sweet together and definitely reflect your heritage.
I think it works well with [name_f]Annika[/name_f], though I wouldn’t associate [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] with Northern Europe. I know a lovely [name_f]Katarina[/name_f], and her parents are Croatian. It’s a very pretty name.
[name_f]Katarina[/name_f] looks Russian to me. I am not sure if it is actually Russian or just similar to the Russian variant of [name_f]Catherine[/name_f], but it does look Eastern European
[name_f]Katarina[/name_f] [name_m]Witt[/name_m]. End of story?
[name_f]Ekaterina[/name_f] or [name_f]Katerina[/name_f] looks more Eastern to me.
[name_f]Katariina[/name_f] is Finnish - that’s pretty far north : D.
My oma is a [name_f]Katharina[/name_f] ([name_f]Cathy[/name_f] once she immigrated), and she’s from the Netherlands. [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] is a common variant there as well. [name_f]Annika[/name_f] is a common Dutch name too.
They are a great sibset in my opinion, though I have to say [name_f]Annika[/name_f] is not my favourite name (I knew a horrible [name_f]Annika[/name_f] growing up - Brat with a capital B).
They have that Western European vibe to me - I think of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, [name_m]Sweeden[/name_m]. They use the same or very similar names throughout those countries, so I think choosing a name (especially one as widespread and varied as [name_f]Katarina[/name_f]) would honour your heritage just fine.
[name_f]Katarina[/name_f] feels very [name_m]German[/name_m] to me, [name_f]Katrine[/name_f]/[name_f]Kathrine[/name_f]/[name_f]Cathrine[/name_f] are more common in Scandinavia.
I grew up with a girl named [name_f]Katarina[/name_f]. She always got [name_f]Catalina[/name_f], like the salad dressing. I definitely feel Eastern European with [name_f]Katarina[/name_f], though. I guess it’s used all over Europe it’s lovely and I do like it with your daughters name.
[name_f]Katarina[/name_f]/[name_f]Katharina[/name_f] is a very popular name in Germany - I think it would definitely honour your heritage, and it sounds great with [name_f]Annika[/name_f].
[name_m]Ah[/name_m], I so very much appreciate the feedback!
It was something that was bothering me about the name, and I wanted to get some more knowledgeable viewpoints before I fell too in love with it!
I KNOW 99% of the people on the street will neither know nor care if [name_f]Katarina[/name_f] is [name_m]German[/name_m], Dutch, Russian, or from Antarctica, but I would know and it would bother me! So, thank you for your input!!!
it’s lovely and I do like it with your daughters name.