Catarina is the Portuguese, Galician, and Occitan form of Katherine. The name ultimately derives from the Greek Aikaterine, whose etymology is debated: it may stem from the name of the goddess Hecate, from Greek aikia meaning 'torture', from hekateros meaning 'each of the two', or from a Coptic name meaning 'my consecration of your name'. In the early Christian era, the name became associated with the Greek word katharos meaning 'pure'. The name was borne by Saint Catherine of Alexandria, a 4th-century martyr tortured on a spiked wheel, which led to the term 'Catherine wheel'. Her cult, brought to Europe by crusaders, popularized the name across the continent. In the Iberian and Occitan regions, Catarina became the standard vernacular form. Notable Bearers Catarina appears frequently among Portuguese royalty. The most famous bearer is Catherine of Braganza (1638–1705), daughter of John IV of Portugal, who became queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland as wife of Charles II. She popularized tea drinking in England and is also remembered for introducing the teacup and the British colonies of Bombay and Tangier as part of her dowry. Other Portuguese infantas include Infanta Catarina of Portugal (1436–1463) and Infanta Catarina, Duchess of Braganza (1540–1614), who became a claimant to the throne. In Sri Lanka, Dona Catarina was queen of the Kingdom of Kandy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the arts, Catarina van Hemessen was a Flemish Renaissance painter, one of the earliest known female Flemish artists. Structure and Related Names The Galician diminutive used for Catarina is Catuxa. Variants in other languages include Katerina (Russian), Katalin (Hungarian), Aikaterine (Ancient Greek), Kattalin (Basque), Katsiaryna (Belarusian), and Karyna (Ukrainian). Meaning: Pure (associated from Greek katharos); uncertain earlier meaning Origin: Greek, via Latin Katharina Type: Given name Usage Regions: Portugal, Galicia (Spain), Occitania (southern France)