2000
#6,928
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.66
Rare Last name
Cathcart
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place in Renfrewshire, meaning "wild cat enclosure" in Gaelic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,078 Americans carry the last name Cathcart. That puts it at #7,260 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,498 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cathcart 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 Cathcart with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,498
Census rank
#7,260
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,428 bearers of the surname Cathcart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7260th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cathcart, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cathcart
The surname Cathcart is a Scottish locational name derived from the lands of Cathcart, situated within the former county of Renfrewshire, Scotland. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic words "cath," meaning "battle," and "ceart," meaning "tax" or "tribute," suggesting a connection to a battle or military engagement in the area.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Cathcart can be traced back to the 12th century, when Rainaldus de Kethcart witnessed a charter granted by Walter Fitzalan, the High Steward of Scotland, in the year 1160. This suggests that the Cathcart family held land in the region during this period.
In the 13th century, the Cathcarts were well-established landowners in Renfrewshire, and their name appeared in various charters and legal documents. One notable figure was Sir Alan Cathcart, who served as a Scottish ambassador to England in the late 13th century.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Cathcarts played a significant role in supporting the cause of Robert the Bruce. Sir Alan Cathcart fought alongside Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and was later rewarded with additional lands for his loyalty.
In the 15th century, the Cathcarts gained prominence through their service to the Scottish crown. William Cathcart was appointed Lord Treasurer of Scotland in 1436, while his son, Alan Cathcart, served as Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1484 to 1493.
The Cathcart family continued to hold significant influence in Scotland throughout the centuries, with many members serving in various military and political roles. Notable individuals include:
1. Sir John Cathcart (1562-1651), a Scottish soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War and served as a Privy Councillor to King Charles I.
2. Charles Cathcart, 9th Lord Cathcart (1686-1740), a Scottish nobleman and military officer who served as Governor of Gibraltar and fought in the War of the Spanish Succession.
3. William Schaw Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart (1755-1843), a British Army officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Sir George Cathcart (1794-1854), a British Army officer who served in the Crimean War and was killed during the Battle of Inkerman.
5. Charles Murray Cathcart, 2nd Earl Cathcart (1783-1859), a British politician and diplomat who served as Governor-General of British North America (Canada) from 1846 to 1847.
The Cathcart surname has also been associated with several place names, including Cathcart Castle, an ancient fortification located near Glasgow, and the town of Cathcart, which is now a suburban area within the city of Glasgow.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cathcart
Among Census respondents with the surname Cathcart, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cathcart 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 Cathcart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 3,324
- Black or African American14.2% · 630
- Two or more races4.8% · 212
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 202
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cathcart
Cathcart 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
#7,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,716
+250 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Down 171 places
2020
#7,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,428
-288 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 161 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,928 | 4,466 | 1.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,099 | 4,716 | 1.60 | +250 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 171 places |
| 2020 | #7,260 | 4,428 | 1.48 | -288 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 161 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 Cathcart 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 | #7,099 | #7,260 | -2.3% |
| Count | 4,716 | 4,428 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.60 | 1.48 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cathcart bearers went from 4,716 to 4,428 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 161 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,099 to #7,260.
FAQ
Cathcart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cathcart?
Name Census estimates that about 5,078 living Americans carry the surname Cathcart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,498 residents.
How common is Cathcart?
Cathcart ranks #7,260 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,428 people with the surname Cathcart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,078), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Cathcart.
Has Cathcart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cathcart went from 4,716 recorded bearers to 4,428. That is a decrease of 288 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,099 to #7,260.
What does the Census say about the background of Cathcart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cathcart, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Cathcart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (3,324 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cathcart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (14.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Cathcart (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 Cathcart mean?
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place in Renfrewshire, meaning "wild cat enclosure" in Gaelic. 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 Cathcart (1.48 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 Americans have the surname Cathcart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.