first wife of Henry VIII; Henry VIII's divorce from her was the initial step of the Reformation in England (1485-1536)
"Catherine, as the first wife of Henry VIII, saw her marriage annulled by the king to pave the way for England's break with Rome."
empress of Russia who greatly increased the territory of the empire (1729-1796)
"Catherine expanded the Russian Empire's borders significantly during her reign from 1729 to 1796."
A female given name from Ancient Greek.
"Catherine is a popular female given name derived from Ancient Greek."
The name Catherine likely originated in Ancient Greece with a debated meaning, possibly derived from words for "each of the two" or the goddess Hecate. Its modern spelling and association with purity stem from a Roman-era folk etymology that mistakenly linked it to the Greek word for clean.