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

Catlett, 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 Catlett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Catlett in America

Catlett is the 6458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Catlett surname appeared 5,258 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Catlett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Catlett 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 Catlett

The surname Catlett is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cat" and "hlithe," which together mean "slope where wild cats live." This suggests that the name may have been first adopted by someone who lived near such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a Richard de Catlith. The spelling variations of the name in its early days included Catlithe, Catlith, and Catelegh.

The Catlett surname is also closely tied to several place names in England, such as Catley in Northamptonshire and Catlow in Lancashire. These place names share a similar etymology to the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and geographical features associated with wildcats.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a document recording landowners and their holdings, there is a reference to a William de Catelegh, who held lands in Derbyshire. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in its more modern spelling.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Catlett include:

1. Sir William Catlett (c. 1460-1515), a member of the English gentry and landowner in Kent.
2. John Catlett (c. 1592-1670), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 1630s.
3. Sackville Catlett (1677-1743), a prominent planter and landowner in Virginia, whose estate was later known as Catlett's Farm.
4. Thomas Catlett (1728-1787), a Virginia planter and military officer who served in the French and Indian War.
5. Robert Catlett (1788-1861), a U.S. Congressman from Virginia who served in the House of Representatives from 1833 to 1837.

While the surname Catlett has its roots in England and can be traced back to the medieval period, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through English colonization and migration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Catlett

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

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

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

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