2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Catignani
An Italian surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with cat-like qualities.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Catignani. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Catignani 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Catignani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Catignani, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Catignani
The surname Catignani originates from Italy, specifically the region of Tuscany. It likely emerged during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Italian word "catigna," which means "oak tree." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or had some connection to oak trees or oak forests.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Catignani surname can be found in the archives of the city of Florence, dating back to the 15th century. A document from 1472 mentions a merchant named Giovanni Catignani, who was involved in the wool trade. Another notable early example is Gian Battista Catignani, a Renaissance artist from Siena who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his religious paintings and frescoes.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Catignani family seemed to have gained prominence in the Tuscan region. There are records of several members holding positions of influence, such as Ludovico Catignani, who served as a magistrate in the city of Arezzo in the late 1600s. Additionally, a nobleman named Francesco Catignani was mentioned in a historical document from 1712, suggesting that the family had achieved a certain level of wealth and status.
In the 19th century, Catignani became a more widespread surname, with bearers found in various parts of Italy. One notable figure from this period was Giuseppe Catignani, a writer and poet born in Livorno in 1829. He gained recognition for his works exploring themes of Italian nationalism and patriotism.
Another prominent individual with the Catignani surname was Tommaso Catignani, a military officer who lived from 1860 to 1935. He fought in the Italian campaigns of World War I and later became a general in the Italian army, earning several military honors for his service.
While the Catignani surname is not among the most common in Italy, it has a long and storied history rooted in the medieval and Renaissance periods of Tuscany. The name's connection to oak trees and its presence in historical records spanning several centuries offer a glimpse into the lives and contributions of those who bore this distinctive Italian surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Catignani
Among Census respondents with the surname Catignani, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Catignani 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 Catignani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 110
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Catignani
Catignani 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+12 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,024 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 3,024 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,001 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 Catignani 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 | #145,220 | #147,221 | -1.4% |
| Count | 114 | 113 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Catignani bearers went from 114 to 113 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,221.
FAQ
Catignani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Catignani?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Catignani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Catignani?
Catignani ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Catignani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Catignani.
Has Catignani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Catignani went from 114 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Catignani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Catignani, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Catignani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Catignani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (1.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Catignani (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 Catignani mean?
An Italian surname derived from a nickname referring to someone with cat-like qualities. 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 Catignani (0.04 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 Catignani?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.