Cataleya
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly alluding to the catalpa tree.
Name Census estimates that about 10,563 living Americans carry the first name Cataleya. It sits at #236 in the overall ranking, outside the top 50 but still well-represented. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cataleya today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cataleya births was 2024 (1,311 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cataleya. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Cataleya with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Cataleya is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 7 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 32,449 Americans
Peak year
2024
1,311 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#236
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Cataleya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cataleya from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 5,435 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cataleya by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cataleya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cataleyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 40 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Cataleya, while Idaho, Rhode Island, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 255 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cataleya
The given name Cataleya is a relatively modern invention, with no definitive ancient origins or derivations from any particular language or culture. It is believed to be a creative combination of the names Catalina and Leya, both of which have Spanish and Latin roots.
Catalina is a Spanish feminine form of the name Catalina, derived from the ancient Roman family name Catalinus, which may have originated from the Latin word "catălus" meaning "puppy" or "little dog." The name Leya, on the other hand, is a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Leia, meaning "weary" or "tired."
While there are no known historical references or ancient texts mentioning the name Cataleya specifically, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in certain regions of Latin America and the Caribbean. Some notable individuals who have borne this name include:
1. Cataleya Browne (born 1993), a Jamaican sprinter who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
2. Cataleya Álvarez (born 1987), a Mexican actress and model known for her work in telenovelas and films.
3. Cataleya Fernández (born 1981), a Venezuelan fashion designer and entrepreneur based in Miami, Florida.
4. Cataleya Hernández (born 1995), a Colombian singer and songwriter known for her fusion of pop and Latin rhythms.
5. Cataleya Sánchez (born 1990), a Peruvian visual artist known for her vibrant and expressive paintings.
While the name Cataleya is relatively new and modern, it has gained a foothold in various cultures and regions, particularly among those with Spanish-speaking roots or influences. Its unique blend of linguistic origins and contemporary appeal has contributed to its growing popularity in recent years.
People
Cataleya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cataleya as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cataleya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cataleya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,563 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cataleya going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 32,449 US residents.
Is Cataleya a common name?
We classify Cataleya as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,632 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cataleya most popular?
The single biggest year for Cataleya was 2024, when 1,311 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cataleya is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Cataleya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Cataleya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cataleya in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Cataleya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Cataleya in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Cataleya can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Cataleya as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.