Catalina last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Catalina

A surname derived from the Spanish word for "pure," possibly descriptive of someone with a virtuous character.

Catalina, 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 Catalina surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catalina in America

Catalina is the 34574th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catalina surname appeared 654 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Catalina.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catalina 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 34574 35445 -2.49%
Count 654 601 8.45%
Proportion per 100k 0.22 0.22 0.00%

The history of the last name Catalina

The surname Catalina has its roots in Spain, originating from the Spanish word "Catalina," which is a feminine form of the name "Catalan." This name was derived from the Latin word "Cathalanus," referring to the region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain.

During the medieval period, the name Catalina was commonly found in various regions of Spain, particularly in Catalonia and the surrounding areas. Historical records indicate that the name was used as early as the 13th century, with references in several manuscripts and documents from that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Catalina can be found in the Llibre del Repartiment de València, a 13th-century document detailing the distribution of land and properties in Valencia after the Christian conquest of the region. This document mentions several individuals with the surname Catalina, suggesting its widespread use during that time.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Catalina was Pedro Catalina, a renowned scholar and theologian from Valencia. He was born around 1300 and is known for his contributions to the field of theology and his works on various religious subjects.

Another notable individual with the surname Catalina was Juan Catalina, a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Juan Catalina played a significant role in the exploration and colonization of the Caribbean islands during the late 15th century.

During the 16th century, the surname Catalina was also associated with the town of Catalina, located in the province of Soria, Spain. This town's name was derived from the Latin phrase "Cathalina Villa," which translates to "Village of Catalina." It is possible that some individuals from this area adopted the surname Catalina as a reference to their place of origin.

In the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Catalina was Diego Catalina, a Spanish painter and engraver who was active in Madrid during the reign of King Philip IV. His works, primarily religious paintings and engravings, were highly regarded and can be found in various churches and museums across Spain.

Another prominent individual bearing the surname Catalina was Tomás Catalina, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1768 to 1776. He played a pivotal role in the development and fortification of the island during his tenure as governor.

While the surname Catalina has its origins in Spain, it has since been adopted and used in various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with Spanish colonial influences. However, its historical roots and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to the regions of Catalonia and Valencia in Spain, where it gained prominence during the medieval and Renaissance periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catalina

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

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 Catalina was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 79.66% 521
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 2.60% 17
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.22% 8
Hispanic Origin 14.98% 98

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 Catalina has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 79.66% 86.02% -7.68%
Black (S)% 1.66% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 2.60% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.22% 1.50% -20.59%
Hispanic 14.98% 10.15% 38.44%

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 Catalina was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Catalina last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/catalina-surname-popularity/.

"Catalina last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/catalina-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 June, 2025

Catalina last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/catalina-surname-popularity/.

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