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

Catan, 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 Catan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catan in America

Catan is the 92358th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catan surname appeared 199 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 Catan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catan 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 Catan

The surname Catan is believed to have originated in Spain, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is likely derived from the Catalan word "catan," which means "to explore" or "to discover." This suggests that the name may have been given to early explorers or those who ventured into new territories.

During the medieval period, the name Catan appeared in various Spanish records and documents, particularly in regions such as Catalonia and Valencia. One notable early reference is found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of lands and properties in the newly conquered Kingdom of Valencia.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name Catan was Pedro de Catan, a nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 13th century. Records indicate that he was granted lands in the vicinity of Valencia after the Christian reconquest of the region from the Moors.

In the 15th century, the name Catan was associated with a prominent family from the town of Villanueva de Catan, located in the province of Zaragoza. This place name is likely derived from the surname itself, suggesting that the family had a significant presence in the area.

One notable figure bearing the Catan surname was Diego de Catan, a Spanish explorer and conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century. He played a role in the famous Battle of Otumba and later served as an encomendero (colonial administrator) in New Spain.

Another historical figure was Juan de Catan, a Spanish navigator and cartographer who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his contributions to early maps of the Pacific Ocean and the coasts of South America.

During the 17th century, the Catan family produced several notable figures in the Iberian Peninsula. One such individual was Álvaro de Catan, a renowned lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Royal Chancellery of Valladolid.

In the 18th century, the Catan surname gained prominence in the arts, with Manuel de Catan being a celebrated painter and portraitist in Madrid. His works can be found in various museums and private collections throughout Spain.

As the centuries passed, the Catan name spread beyond the Iberian Peninsula, carried by Spanish explorers, settlers, and immigrants to various parts of the world, including Latin America and the Philippines.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catan

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

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

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

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