2000
#6,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Cataldo
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name "Cataldus," likely referring to a person from Cataldo, Italy.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,790 Americans carry the last name Cataldo. That puts it at #7,638 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,556 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cataldo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cataldo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,556
Census rank
#7,638
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,177 bearers of the surname Cataldo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7638th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cataldo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cataldo
The surname Cataldo has its origins in Italy, and it is believed to have emerged in the southern regions of the country during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Italian word "cataldo," which means "pure" or "chaste." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to individuals who were known for their virtuous and moral character.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cataldo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Barese, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bari, dating back to the 12th century. In these records, the name appears as "Cataldus," which was likely the original Latin form.
During the Renaissance period, the Cataldo surname gained prominence in the city of Naples. Historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries mention several noteworthy individuals bearing this surname, such as Girolamo Cataldo, a renowned humanist scholar and poet who lived from 1455 to 1520.
Another significant figure in Italian history with the Cataldo surname was Pietro Cataldo, a Sicilian nobleman and military commander who fought against the Aragonese during the War of the Sicilian Vespers in the late 13th century.
In the 17th century, the Cataldo surname can be traced to the island of Ischia, located in the Gulf of Naples. One notable individual from this period was Tommaso Cataldo, a philosopher and theologian who was born in Ischia in 1624 and wrote extensively on metaphysics and natural philosophy.
The surname Cataldo also has a connection to the city of Palermo in Sicily. In the 18th century, a prominent family bearing this surname owned extensive lands and estates in the region. One of the most well-known members of this family was Giovanni Cataldo, a wealthy landowner and patron of the arts who lived from 1710 to 1785.
During the 19th century, the Cataldo surname spread beyond Italy as individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. In the United States, for example, records show that a Giuseppe Cataldo settled in New York City in the 1850s, establishing a lineage of the name in the country.
Overall, the surname Cataldo has a rich and diverse history, with roots dating back to medieval Italy and connections to various regions, notable individuals, and historical events throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cataldo
Among Census respondents with the surname Cataldo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cataldo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cataldo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 3,744
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 277
- Two or more races2.2% · 92
- Black or African American0.7% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cataldo
Cataldo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,711
+207 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 224 places
2020
#7,638
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,177
-534 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,880 | 4,504 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,104 | 4,711 | 1.60 | +207 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 224 places |
| 2020 | #7,638 | 4,177 | 1.40 | -534 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 534 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cataldo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,104 | #7,638 | -7.5% |
| Count | 4,711 | 4,177 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.40 | -12.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cataldo bearers went from 4,711 to 4,177 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 534 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,104 to #7,638.
FAQ
Cataldo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cataldo?
Name Census estimates that about 4,790 living Americans carry the surname Cataldo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,556 residents.
How common is Cataldo?
Cataldo ranks #7,638 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,177 people with the surname Cataldo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,790), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cataldo.
Has Cataldo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cataldo went from 4,711 recorded bearers to 4,177. That is a decrease of 534 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,104 to #7,638.
What does the Census say about the background of Cataldo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cataldo, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cataldo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (3,744 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cataldo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cataldo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cataldo mean?
An Italian surname derived from the Latin name "Cataldus," likely referring to a person from Cataldo, Italy. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cataldo (1.40 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Cataldo?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.