What Does the Name Cataleya Mean?
Cataleya is a girl's name of Modern (from the Cattleya orchid) origin meaning “named for the Cattleya orchid (honoring botanist William Cattley).”
Updated June 2026
| Name | Cataleya |
|---|---|
| Gender | female |
| Origin | Modern (from the Cattleya orchid) |
| Meaning | named for the Cattleya orchid (honoring botanist William Cattley) |
| Variants | Cattleya, Cathaleya, Cateleya, Catalea |
| Popularity | A recent entrant to the U.S. charts following the 2011 film Colombiana; rising steadily in the 2010s-2020s. |
The meaning and origin of Cataleya
The name Cataleya means “named for the Cattleya orchid (honoring botanist William Cattley)” and has Modern (from the Cattleya orchid) origins. Cataleya is a modern respelling of Cattleya, a genus of orchid named after English horticulturist William Cattley. The name was popularized by the protagonist of the 2011 film Colombiana and is strongly associated with Colombia, where the Cattleya is a national flower.
Variants and related names
Cataleya is related to several other names you may recognize: Cattleya, Cathaleya, Cateleya, Catalea. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.
How popular is the name Cataleya?
A recent entrant to the U.S. charts following the 2011 film Colombiana; rising steadily in the 2010s-2020s.
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Open the name generator →Frequently asked questions
What does the name Cataleya mean?+
The name Cataleya means “named for the Cattleya orchid (honoring botanist William Cattley)” and is of Modern (from the Cattleya orchid) origin.
What is the origin of the name Cataleya?+
Cataleya originates from Modern (from the Cattleya orchid).
Is Cataleya a popular name?+
Yes — see the popularity note above for how Cataleya has trended in the US over time.
Cataleya by gender
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Sources
- Behind the Name — Etymology and history of first names — Behind the Name
- US Social Security Administration — Popular baby names by year — Social Security Administration
- A Dictionary of First Names — Oxford Reference — Oxford University Press