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

Catchings, 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 Catchings surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catchings in America

Catchings is the 15063rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catchings surname appeared 1,959 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Catchings.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catchings 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 Catchings

The surname Catchings is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Warwickshire. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cæccing," which translates to "a catching" or "a seizing."

Historically, surnames often emerged as a way to distinguish individuals, particularly in occupations or locations. In this case, the name Catchings may have been initially associated with someone whose occupation involved catching or seizing items, such as a hunter or a bailiff.

Early records show variations in the spelling of the name, including Catching, Catchinge, and Catchynge. One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Warwickshire County Records from the late 13th century, where a certain "John Catchynge" is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, which were records of financial transactions. These rolls mention a "William Catchyng" from the village of Kinver.

Notable individuals with the surname Catchings include Sir Robert Catchings, a prominent landowner and knight from Warwickshire who lived in the late 15th century. Another early record is of a Thomas Catchings, who served as a member of the English Parliament in the 16th century, representing the borough of Stratford-upon-Avon.

During the 17th century, the name Catchings was also present in the nearby county of Worcestershire. Records show a John Catchings who was a landowner in the village of Badsey during this period.

In the 18th century, the surname Catchings can be found in various parish registers and court records across England, particularly in the Midlands region. One notable figure was William Catchings, a respected scholar and author from Warwickshire, who lived from 1710 to 1783.

As the centuries progressed, the name Catchings spread to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to North America, where many descendants of the original English families settled during the colonial era and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catchings

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

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

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

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