Catera
Of Latin origin, meaning "chain" or "series".
Name Census estimates that about 388 living Americans carry the first name Catera. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Catera today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Catera births was 1998 (113 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Catera. 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.
People living today
388
~ 1 in 883,387 Americans
Peak year
1998
113 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2007 SSA rank
#15,871
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Catera: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Catera from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 262 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Catera remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Catera 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 Catera during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cateras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Michigan, Florida, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Catera, while Wisconsin, Ohio, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Catera
The name Catera has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy from around the 8th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. The name is derived from the Etruscan word "cater," which means "leader" or "chief."
In the Etruscan culture, the name Catera was likely given to individuals who were born into noble or ruling families, or who displayed leadership qualities from a young age. It is possible that the name was also used as a title or honorific for Etruscan rulers or military leaders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Catera can be found in an Etruscan inscription from the 6th century BCE, where it appears to have been the name of a high-ranking official or nobleman. However, the name does not appear to have been widely used outside of the Etruscan civilization during that time period.
It was not until several centuries later that the name Catera began to appear more frequently in historical records. In the 12th century, a Catera Farnese was a prominent Italian noblewoman and the wife of a powerful feudal lord. She is known to have played a significant role in the political and military affairs of her family's domains.
Another notable figure with the name Catera was Catera Malaspina, an Italian poet and writer who lived in the 13th century. She was renowned for her literary works, which explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
In the 15th century, Catera Sforza was an Italian noblewoman and military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of her family's territories during the Italian Wars. She is remembered for her bravery and strategic acumen on the battlefield.
During the Renaissance period, the name Catera gained popularity among the Italian nobility and was used by several prominent families. One such individual was Catera Borgia, a member of the powerful Borgia family, who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.
While the name Catera has its roots in ancient Etruscan culture, it has maintained a presence throughout various periods of history, often associated with individuals of noble or influential status. These examples demonstrate the enduring legacy of this name, which continues to carry connotations of leadership and prestige.
People
Catera + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Catera 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
Catera: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Catera?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 388 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Catera 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 883,387 US residents.
Is Catera a common name?
We classify Catera as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 397 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Catera most popular?
The single biggest year for Catera was 1998, when 113 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Catera is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Catera a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Catera 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.
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.