Find out how popular the last name Catalano is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Catalano.

Catalano, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Catalano surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catalano in America

Catalano is the 3574th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catalano surname appeared 9,973 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Catalano.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catalano to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Catalano

The surname Catalano originated in Sicily, Italy, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Greek word "Katolikos," which means "universal" or "general." The name likely referred to someone who held a high-ranking position or had a broad scope of authority.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Catalano can be found in the Sicilian Rolls of 1282, where a certain Guglielmo Catalano is mentioned. This document was a census compiled by the Angevin rulers of Sicily at the time.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Matteo Catalano was a prominent jurist and legal scholar in Palermo. He authored several treatises on Sicilian law and held influential positions within the local government.

During the Renaissance period, the name Catalano appeared in various historical records across Italy. For instance, Antonio Catalano (1498-1570) was a celebrated architect from Messina who designed several churches and palaces in Sicily.

Another famous bearer of the name was Giovanni Catalano (1560-1630), a Sicilian painter known for his religious works and portraits. He was commissioned by various noble families and churches throughout the island.

In the 18th century, Domenico Catalano (1718-1791) was a prominent historian and writer from Palermo. He authored several books on the history of Sicily, including "De Ecclesia Firmana" and "De Antiquo Ritu Ecclesiae Panormitanae."

The name Catalano has also been associated with various place names in Sicily, such as Catalano Vecchio and Catalano Nuova, which were towns located in the province of Messina. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, indicating areas where families with the Catalano name settled or held land.

Throughout history, the surname Catalano has been carried by numerous individuals from different walks of life, including scholars, artists, architects, and writers. While its origins can be traced back to Sicily, the name has since spread to other parts of Italy and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catalano

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Catalano.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Catalano was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Catalano has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Catalano was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Catalano, please contact us.

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