Meaning and background
The story behind Cate
Cate is an alternative spelling of Kate, which developed as a shortened form of Catherine or Katherine. The underlying name has disputed early roots, so Cate should not be assigned a firm ancient translation. What it does offer as a dog name is one crisp syllable, with a spelling that distinguishes it from the ordinary word cat.
- Origin
- English spelling variant of Kate, a short form of Catherine/Katherine Source
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Everyday moments“Cate, come here!”
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About Cate
Recorded as a dog’s name
Cate appears in 1 dog licence record in the 2024 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/keɪt/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/keɪt/ · primary stress on syllable 1K EY1 T
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (3)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.