2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Catona
An Italian surname possibly derived from the given name Cato or Catone.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Catona. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Catona 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Catona in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Catona, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Catona
The surname CATONA is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century in the region of Campania, particularly in the area around Naples. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "catus," meaning "wise" or "prudent," suggesting that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone who was considered wise or discerning.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name CATONA can be found in the Catasto Onciario, a tax record from the Kingdom of Naples in the 15th century. This document mentions several individuals bearing the surname, indicating that the name was already well-established in the region during that time period.
In the 16th century, the name CATONA appeared in various historical records, including church registers and notarial documents. One notable figure from this era was Girolamo CATONA (1524-1592), a prominent jurist and legal scholar from Naples who authored several influential treatises on Roman law.
During the 17th century, the CATONA family expanded their influence, with several members holding important positions within the ecclesiastical and political spheres of Naples. One such figure was Domenico CATONA (1615-1687), a Neapolitan priest and theologian who served as the Bishop of Capaccio from 1675 until his death.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Pietro CATONA (1701-1779), a renowned painter and architect from Naples who was commissioned to design several churches and palaces in the city. His work, which blended baroque and neoclassical styles, left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of Naples.
In the 19th century, the CATONA family continued to make its mark, with Giuseppe CATONA (1819-1897) serving as a prominent lawyer and politician in the newly unified Kingdom of Italy. He was elected to the Italian Parliament and played a key role in drafting laws related to civil and commercial matters.
As the centuries passed, the CATONA surname spread beyond its origins in Campania, with families bearing this name settling in other parts of Italy and eventually migrating to various countries around the world. While the name may have evolved slightly in spelling or pronunciation over time, its roots can be traced back to the wise and discerning individuals who bore this surname in the historic regions of Naples and Campania.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Catona
Among Census respondents with the surname Catona, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Catona 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 Catona surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Catona
Catona 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,961 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-18 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,961 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 16,263 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 Catona 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 | #137,327 | #153,590 | -11.8% |
| Count | 122 | 104 | -14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Catona bearers went from 122 to 104 (-14.8% change). The surname moved down 16,263 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #153,590.
FAQ
Catona surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Catona?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Catona. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Catona?
Catona ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Catona. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Catona.
Has Catona become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Catona went from 122 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 18 (-14.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Catona?
Among Census respondents with the surname Catona, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Catona in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Catona appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Catona (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 Catona mean?
An Italian surname possibly derived from the given name Cato or Catone. 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 Catona (0.03 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 people have the surname Catona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.