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

Catherine, 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 Catherine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catherine in America

Catherine is the 58042nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catherine surname appeared 350 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 Catherine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catherine 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 Catherine

The surname Catherine is of English origin, derived from the ancient Greek name "Katharina," meaning "pure" or "clear." This name gained popularity during the Middle Ages, especially after the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Catherine can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, an extensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several entries in this document mention individuals bearing this surname, indicating its presence in various parts of the country.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Catherine was Robert Catherine, a landowner from Gloucestershire, England, whose name appears in the Pipe Rolls of 1166. These rolls were financial records maintained by the Exchequer during the reign of King Henry II.

In the 13th century, the surname Catherine was found in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. Variants of the spelling, such as Catheryne and Catheren, were also common during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname Catherine include Sir John Catherine (c. 1480-1545), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1520. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Catherine (1568-1619), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1616 until his death.

In the 16th century, the surname Catherine was associated with several place names, such as Catherington in Hampshire and Catherinefield in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Catherine who had settled in those areas.

Other notable bearers of the surname Catherine throughout history include:

1. William Catherine (1726-1799), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
2. Mary Catherine (1779-1855), an English novelist and playwright known for her works depicting the lives of the landed gentry.
3. Sir Charles Catherine (1832-1901), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1895.
4. Edith Catherine (1875-1964), a renowned British botanist and mycologist who made significant contributions to the study of fungi.
5. James Catherine (1902-1988), an English cricketer who played for the Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the 1920s and 1930s.

While the surname Catherine has its roots in England, it has since spread worldwide and is found in various countries and cultures, reflecting the global reach and diversity of this historic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catherine

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

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

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

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