2000
#5,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,508
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.04
Rare Last name
Caton
Derived from a place name meaning "town of cats" in Old English or from a nickname for a wily person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,093 Americans carry the last name Caton. That puts it at #6,179 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Caton 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 Caton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,254
Census rank
#6,179
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,313 bearers of the surname Caton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6179th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Caton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Caton
Among Census respondents with the surname Caton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Caton 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 Caton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 4,477
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 306
- Black or African American4.8% · 254
- Two or more races4.0% · 215
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Caton
Caton 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
#6,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,467
-41 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 491 places
2020
#6,179
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,313
-154 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,756 | 5,508 | 2.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,247 | 5,467 | 1.85 | -41 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 491 places |
| 2020 | #6,179 | 5,313 | 1.78 | -154 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 68 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 Caton 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 | #6,247 | #6,179 | 1.1% |
| Count | 5,467 | 5,313 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.78 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Caton bearers went from 5,467 to 5,313 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,247 to #6,179.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Caton
FAQ
Caton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Caton?
Name Census estimates that about 6,093 living Americans carry the surname Caton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,254 residents.
How common is Caton?
Caton ranks #6,179 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,313 people with the surname Caton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Caton.
Has Caton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Caton went from 5,467 recorded bearers to 5,313. That is a decrease of 154 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,247 to #6,179.
What does the Census say about the background of Caton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Caton, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (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 Caton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (4,477 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Caton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (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 Caton (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 Caton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "town of cats" in Old English or from a nickname for a wily person. 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 Caton (1.78 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 common is the surname Caton?
You can see how many people are called Caton on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.