Kate or Katie is a commonly used nickname for Catherine, Katherine, or Kaitlynn (my granddaughter).

I've known a lot of Kates (from K or C beginning letter) but never met a Cate as yet.

Kate with a "K" is the more common way of shortening the name whether the full name is spelled with a "K" or a "C", but Cate Blanchett clearly favours the "C".

It's like Richard, uses Dick. I really don't know why anyone would like to be called Dick, and have always wondered how this switch happens.

Moni

Lol Moni, I always think the same thing!

Ditto to the above responses. Cate Blanchett is the only Cate I've ever heard of. My daughter Gillian's (soft G) nickname was Jill. "Gill" looks like it should be pronounced with a hard G.

I don't know but maybe for the same reason William is called Bill.

Who knows? Who cares? She can spell her name any way she wants. Wasn't there an actress named Katherine Hepburn? Nobody questioned her.

My sister is Mary Catherine and has always gone by Mary Kay. Or MK.

Probably for the same reason my son spells the shortened version of his name with a J rather than the G which is the first letter of his legal name. It looks better.

Who is Kate Middleton ?

We're all stunned into silence, Minnie. LOL

Hey - I'm a Cate - Maire Cate!!!

I'm with minnietx...I had to scratch my head for quite a while to remember she was that unfortunate woman who is marrying into the irrelevant British royal family.

I've wondered about the K/C myself. Until recently, I had never seen "Cate" spelled with a "C".

I havn't been keeping track of the royal wedding. I knew a Kate was involved but didn't realize this was her/she

Sorry

It's like Roberts are often called Bob and Thomas is shortened to Tom, not Thom.

Did you know that their initials must have hers come first before Williams because of the meaning of WC. All their stationary, cups, plates, etc., have her first, which is a first for the royal family.

WC is a Wash Closet in Britain. Or as we know it: outhousse.

Well my name is spelled with a K which of course I always say is the "right" way. I mean, if you are going to change the abbreviation to a K, then why spell it will a C in the first place? It's annoying. Especially when people always think my name is with a C!! A lot of people mentioned Bill, but Bill is different; you wouldn't name a guy Billiam.

Well my name is spelled with a K which of course I always say is the "right" way. I mean, if you are going to change the abbreviation to a K, then why spell it will a C in the first place? It's annoying. Especially when people always think my name is with a C!! A lot of people mentioned Bill, but Bill is different; you wouldn't name a guy Billiam.

I'm a Cathleen who used to be a Kate & now is Cate... I'm so old that Kate with a K was the only way anyone thought to spell it. With email, I have somehow been transformed into Cate with a C -- I have tried to keep the K but everyone seems to ignore that and persisted with spelling it with a C. I gave up.. but I can date how long people have known me to how they spell my name.
And as a side note.... when William was younger, his mum called him Wills ...

Doesn't WC mean water closet? That is what I always heard.

Water Closet ... but either way, the function is the same.

We named our daughter after her two grandmas ... with some amendments.

My Mom was "Minnie Kathleen", we thought "Minnie" to be quite dated (sorry, "Minnie" of TaXes), and thought that the "Kathleen" would be more contemporary if we changed/amended it to "Kathryn", both of which started with the "K".

Sue's Mom, "Ida Marie", contributed "Marie" ... without amendment.

She kept her name when she married, which lasted about five years ...

... and still has it ... O.K.?

ole joyful

I think this is interesting I picked up the latest copy of "Woman's World" mag at the checkout today and on page 26 is a beautiful wedding cake Captioned Celebrate a Royal Wedding . Shows a beautiful blue wedding cake with a large WC initial on it and "celebrate Catherine and Wiliam's big day" no K here,

Katherine, you said, "A lot of people mentioned Bill, but Bill is different; you wouldn't name a guy Billiam."

Had to smile because my DIL has the nickname of Billiam for my DS. She said that's because he's one in a billion. :)

We named our daughter Catherine after St. Catherine of Siena of Italy, which in Italian is Caterina or "Little Catherine". We call her Cate or Catie. I heard that Katherine had a German origin, but doing quick internet research it appears to be Greek. Catharine is the English-only form. See below for the reference.

Catherine meaning and name origin

Reference: http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Catherine

Catherine \c(a)-theri-ne, cath(e)-rine\ as a girl's name is pronounced KATH-rin, KATH-er-in. It is of Greek origin, and the meaning of Catherine is "pure". From "katharos". The name may also have been derived from Hecate, the name of the Greek goddess of magic. Another possible source is Greek "aikia" meaning "torture". All these meanings might have been associated with Saint Aikaterine of Alexandria (fourth century), who was born a pagan but died as a Christian martyr. English form of Katherine also used in France. Catharine is the English-only form. One of the great traditional names for women, with variations in many languages. The name of several saints and queens, including Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, and three of Henry VIII's six wives. Modern-day short forms are usually Katie instead of Cathy. Actresses Catherine Oxenberg, Catherine Deneuve, Katherine Hepburn, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cate Blanchett; Australian track celebrity Cathy Freeman.

Catherine has 211 variant forms: Cadi, Cait, Caitey, Caitie, Caitlin, Caitlinn, Caitria, Caitrin, Caitrine, Caitrinn, Caitriona, Caitrionagh, Caity, Caren, Cari, Carin, Caron, Caronne, Carren, Carri, Carrin, Carron, Caryn, Carynn, Cass, Cassey, Cassi, Cassie, Cassy, Cat, Cataleen, Cataleena, Catalin, Catalina, Cataline, Catarina, Catarine, Cate, Cateline, Caterina, Caterine, Catey, Cath, Catha, Cathaleen, Cathaline, Catharin, Catharina, Catharine, Cathatyna, Catharyne, Cathe, Cathee, Catheirn, Cathelin, Cathelina, Cathelle, Cathenne, Catheren, Catherin, Catherina, Catherinn, Cathern, Catheryn, Cathi, Cathie, Cathirin, Cathiryn, Cathleen, Cathlene, Cathline, Cathlyne, Cathrine, Cathrinn, Cathryn, Cathryne, Cathrynn, Cathy, Cathye, Cathyleen, Cati, Catia, Catie, Catlina, Catlaina, Cato, Catreena, Catrelle, Catrice, Catricia, Catrin, Catrina, Catrine, Catrine, Catriona, Catrionagh, Catryna, Catteeka, Caty, Cay, Caye, Cazzy, Ekaterina, Kait, Kaitey, Kaitie, Kaitlin, Kaitlinne, Kaitrin, Kaitrine, Kaitrinna, Kaitriona, Kaitrionaugh, Kaity, Karen, Karena, Kari, Karin, Karon, Karri, Karrin, Karyn, Karynn, Kasia, Kasienka, Kasja, Kaska, Kass, Kassey, Kassia, Kassy, Kasya, Kat, Kata, Kataleen, Katalin, Katalina, Katarina, Katchen, Kate, Katee, Katelijn, Katell, Katelle, Katenka, Katerina, Katerinka, Katey, Katinka, Katha, Katharine, Katharyn, Katharyne, Kathee, Kathelina, Katheline, Katherin, Katherina, Katherine, Katheryn, Katherynn, Kathi, Kathie, Kathileen, Kathiryn, Kathleen, Kathlene, Kathleyn, Kathline, Kathyleen, Kathrine, Kathrinna, Kathryn, Kathryne, Kathy, Kathyrine, Kati, Katia, Katica, Katie, Katina, Katinka, Katka, Katla, Katlaina, Katleen, Katoushka, Katouska, Katrena, Katrien, Katrine, Katrina, Katriona, Katrionaugh, Katryna, Katushka, Katuska, Katy, Katya, Kay, Kaye, Kit, Kittee, Kittie, Kitty, Riona, Trina, Trine, Trinette, Yekaterin and Yekaterina.

There's also Gerald & Jerry....

I skimmed did anyone mention "Jack" for John, explain that one!! I was under the impression Cathy=Catherine. Kathy= Kathleen. Maybe that is regional. Bottom line I would use the C/K that is in my proper name if I were going to shorten my name, what ever it is. These days anything goes. Mikel for Michael was the biggest SHOCK in my years teaching..in 30 years I have seen in several times now.

There's a newscaster on a local TV station who spells her name--(Jennifer)

jennaphyer

And, to get back to the OP...

There's Teresa and Theresa (and Terry and Terri)....

I think Cate is fairly uncommon (although I prefer it if the name is Catherine or Cathleen). My name is Suzanne and when I was young I went by Suzie, NOT Susie. How does SuZanne end up as SuSie? More common, I guess.

Okay common or not there is no K in Catherine so it should be Cate not Kate. If your name is Catelynn are you going to shorten it to Kate? No to me it would be shortened to Cate. It is okay to be unique you don't have to conform to what society says it should be.