Cattleya
An orchid flower of brilliant colors originating from Latin America.
Name Census estimates that about 1,885 living Americans carry the first name Cattleya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Cattleya today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cattleya births was 2024 (292 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cattleya. 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.
Key insights
- • Cattleya 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
1.9K
~ 1 in 181,833 Americans
Peak year
2024
292 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#905
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Cattleya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cattleya 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 1,003 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
Cattleya 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 Cattleya during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cattleyas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 22 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Cattleya, while New Mexico, Kentucky, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 57 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cattleya
The name Cattleya has its origins in the field of botany, specifically in the naming of a genus of orchids native to tropical regions of the Americas. It was named after William Cattley, a 19th-century English botanist and horticulturist who was among the first to successfully cultivate these exotic flowers in Britain.
The earliest recorded use of Cattleya as a personal name dates back to the late 19th century, likely inspired by the botanical term's association with beauty and rarity. It gained popularity as a feminine given name, particularly in parts of Europe and the Americas, where the orchid genus was admired for its vibrant and striking blooms.
While the name Cattleya has no direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been borne by several notable individuals throughout the years. One of the earliest recorded figures was Cattleya Sternberg (1868-1940), an American sculptor known for her works in terracotta and marble.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Cattleya Salerno (1888-1967), an Italian actress and singer who enjoyed success on the stage and in early Italian cinema during the first half of the 20th century.
In the realm of literature, Cattleya Carbone (1896-1978) was a Brazilian writer and journalist whose works often explored themes of feminism and social justice.
Cattleya Villegas (1924-2018) was a Mexican painter and printmaker celebrated for her vibrant and expressive works that drew inspiration from her indigenous heritage.
More recently, Cattleya Huaman (born 1970) is a Peruvian model and television presenter who has gained international recognition for her advocacy of indigenous rights and environmental causes.
While the name Cattleya may be considered unique and unconventional in many parts of the world, its botanical roots and association with exquisite beauty have undoubtedly contributed to its enduring appeal as a feminine given name.
People
Cattleya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cattleya 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
Cattleya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cattleya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,885 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cattleya 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 181,833 US residents.
Is Cattleya a common name?
We classify Cattleya as "Rare". It ranks above 93.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,897 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cattleya most popular?
The single biggest year for Cattleya was 2024, when 292 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cattleya is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cattleya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cattleya 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.