2000
#6,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,845
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Cate
Derived from a nickname for Catherine, or a place name meaning "refined" or "pure" in Anglo-Norman French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,327 Americans carry the last name Cate. That puts it at #6,970 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,343 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cate 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 Cate with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,343
Census rank
#6,970
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,645 bearers of the surname Cate in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6970th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cate, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cate
The surname Cate has its origins in the British Isles, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "catt" or "catte," referring to a cat, which were used as nicknames for someone with cat-like agility or perhaps a fondness for the animals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a person named Osbert Cate is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in England.
Another early reference to the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a Henry Cate as a tenant in the village of Chadlington. This could indicate a connection between the surname and certain place names, potentially related to areas where cats were abundant or associated with specific trades or activities.
During the 14th century, the surname Cate began to appear more frequently in various records across England. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a William Cate is listed as a taxpayer. Similarly, in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1348, a John Cate is mentioned as a resident of the area.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Cate include Sir John Cate (1470-1541), a prominent merchant and politician from Bristol, who served as the city's mayor in 1519. Another notable figure was Thomas Cate (1598-1662), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works during the 17th century.
In Scotland, the surname Cate can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a Robert Cate residing in Aberdeen in 1546. Later, in 1679, a William Cate is recorded as a merchant in Glasgow, suggesting the name's presence in various parts of the British Isles during that era.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cate include:
1. Sir Henry Cate (1623-1693), an English judge and Member of Parliament.
2. Elizabeth Cate (1675-1755), an American colonist and landowner in New Hampshire.
3. John Cate (1718-1779), an American soldier who fought in the French and Indian War.
4. James Cate (1788-1867), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Mary Cate (1828-1902), an American educator and advocate for women's rights.
The surname Cate, with its roots in Old English and its presence across various regions of the British Isles, has a rich history spanning several centuries. While its origins may be humble, the name has been borne by a diverse range of individuals throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cate
Among Census respondents with the surname Cate, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cate 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 Cate surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 4,080
- Two or more races3.6% · 166
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 144
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 117
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.1% · 97
- Black or African American0.9% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cate
Cate 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
#6,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,987
+142 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 300 places
2020
#6,970
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,645
-342 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,463 | 4,845 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,763 | 4,987 | 1.69 | +142 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 300 places |
| 2020 | #6,970 | 4,645 | 1.55 | -342 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 207 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 Cate 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 | #6,763 | #6,970 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,987 | 4,645 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.55 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cate bearers went from 4,987 to 4,645 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,763 to #6,970.
FAQ
Cate surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cate?
Name Census estimates that about 5,327 living Americans carry the surname Cate. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,343 residents.
How common is Cate?
Cate ranks #6,970 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,645 people with the surname Cate. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,327), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cate.
Has Cate become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cate went from 4,987 recorded bearers to 4,645. That is a decrease of 342 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,763 to #6,970.
What does the Census say about the background of Cate?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cate, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Cate in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (4,080 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cate appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Cate (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 Cate mean?
Derived from a nickname for Catherine, or a place name meaning "refined" or "pure" in Anglo-Norman French. 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 Cate (1.55 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 have the last name Cate?
Want to know how many people have the surname Cate? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.