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

Caton, 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 Caton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Caton in America

Caton is the 6247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Caton surname appeared 5,467 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 Caton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Caton 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 Caton

The surname Caton has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "catu" and "tun," which together mean "cat town" or "settlement of cats." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a place where cats were prevalent or perhaps an association with a particular family or individual involved in cat-related activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Catton." This entry refers to a village in Norfolk, England, which was likely the birthplace of the surname. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where it is spelled "Catun" and "Catone."

In the 13th century, the surname was found in various forms, including "Catton," "Caton," and "Cattun." One notable bearer of the name during this period was John de Caton, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246.

The surname continued to evolve and spread throughout England in the following centuries. In the 16th century, the spelling "Caton" became more prevalent, as seen in records from counties like Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Norfolk.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Caton was Thomas Caton, born in 1608 in Bingley, Yorkshire. He was a prominent Quaker minister and author, known for his writings on religious topics. Another notable figure was William Caton, born in 1636 in Caton, Lancashire. He was a Quaker preacher and missionary who traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Americas.

In the 17th century, the name was also found in the British colonies of North America. One example is John Caton, born in 1658 in St. Mary's County, Maryland. He was a landowner and served as a member of the Maryland General Assembly.

Another well-known bearer of the surname was Martha Caton, born in 1744 in Maryland. She was a socialite and the wife of Richard Caton, a wealthy plantation owner. Their daughters, known as the "Caton Sisters," were renowned for their beauty and married into prominent families, including the Dukes of Leeds and Wellington.

Throughout history, the surname Caton has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Caton in Lancashire, Catton in Norfolk, and Catton Park in North Yorkshire. Additionally, the name has been linked to various occupations and trades, including those related to cat-keeping or cat-breeding, as well as other professions and activities associated with the animal.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Caton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!