How to say it
ca · ta · LE · ya
ˌkɑt.əˈleɪ.ə
Feminine
Cataleya
Cattleya orchid
What it means
From the Cattleya orchid genus (named for 19th-century English horticulturalist William Cattley). Colombia's national flower. Zoë Saldana's character in Colombiana (2011) gave it 21st-century English-language cinema anchor.
Cataleya is a Spanish-language given name from Cattleya, a genus of showy orchids named for the 19th-century English horticulturalist William Cattley (the genus was first identified and named by John Lindley in 1824). The Cattleya orchid is Colombia's national flower. The 2011 Luc Besson-produced film Colombiana, starring Zoë Saldana as Cataleya Restrepo, gave the name decisive English-language cinema anchor for the spelling Cataleya. As a first name it surged in Latino communities through the 2010s; it entered the US top 500 in 2018. Common short: Cata or Leya.
How to spell Cataleya
The standard spelling is Cataleya. Common variants include Cattleya, Catalea, but Cataleya is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #236 in 2024, currently #238 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed August 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Colombiana (2011 film with Zoë Saldana) is the dominant English-language cinema anchor; the orchid is Colombia's national flower.
Who's worn it
- Cataleya Restrepo (Colombiana) Zoë Saldana's avenging-daughter character, 2011
Spelling variants
- Cattleya
- Catalea
Names with the same feeling
See Cataleya from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Cataleya mean?
- From the Cattleya orchid genus (named for 19th-century English horticulturalist William Cattley). Colombia's national flower. Zoë Saldana's character in Colombiana (2011) gave it 21st-century English-language cinema anchor.
- What does Cataleya mean in Spanish?
- In Spanish, Cataleya means "Cattleya orchid." Cataleya is a Spanish-language given name from Cattleya, a genus of showy orchids named for the 19th-century English horticulturalist William Cattley (the genus was first identified and named by John Lindley in 1824). The Cattleya orchid is Colombia's national flower. The 2011 Luc Besson-produced film Colombiana, starring Zoë Saldana as Cataleya Restrepo, gave the name decisive English-language cinema anchor for the spelling Cataleya. As a first name it surged in Latino communities through the 2010s; it entered the US top 500 in 2018. Common short: Cata or Leya.
- How do you pronounce Cataleya?
- Cataleya is pronounced ˌkɑt.əˈleɪ.ə. Say it as ca-ta-LE-ya, with the stress on the "le" syllable.
- How do you spell Cataleya?
- The standard spelling is Cataleya. Common spelling variants include Cattleya, Catalea.
- Is Cataleya a boy or girl name?
- Cataleya is traditionally a feminine name.
- How popular is the name Cataleya?
- Cataleya ranked #238 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.