2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Catrell
An English surname derived from the Old French word "cateril," meaning a landless peasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Catrell. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Catrell 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Catrell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Catrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Catrell
The surname Catrell has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "catt" and "hyll," meaning "cat hill" or "cat's hill." This suggests that the name may have originated as a place name or a descriptive name for an area where wild cats were commonly found.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1273, which mentions a Richard de Catrehull. The spelling variations during this time included Catrehull, Catrehull, and Catryll.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was spelled as Catrehill. This indicates that the name had spread from its original location and was being used across different regions of England.
During the 16th century, the name emerged in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1541, where it was spelled as Catrell. This spelling became more standardized over time and is the most commonly used form today.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Catrell was John Catrell, born in 1591 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a noted scholar and author, best known for his work on the history of the English Reformation.
Another notable figure was Sir Robert Catrell (1632-1704), a Member of Parliament for the Borough of Lincolnshire during the reign of King Charles II. He played a significant role in shaping the political landscape of the time.
In the 18th century, William Catrell (1728-1795) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Bow.
The 19th century saw the birth of James Catrell (1832-1912), a renowned explorer and naturalist. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the region.
More recently, Margaret Catrell (1905-1987) was a pioneering British educator and advocate for women's rights. She worked tirelessly to promote equal educational opportunities for girls and women in the United Kingdom.
While the surname Catrell has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration and exploration. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the rolling hills and countryside of England, where the name first gained prominence.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Catrell
Among Census respondents with the surname Catrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Catrell 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 Catrell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 98
- Black or African American3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Catrell
Catrell 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-20 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,756 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -20 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 27,756 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 289 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 Catrell 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 | #152,628 | #152,339 | 0.2% |
| Count | 107 | 106 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Catrell bearers went from 107 to 106 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #152,339.
FAQ
Catrell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Catrell?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Catrell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Catrell?
Catrell ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Catrell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Catrell.
Has Catrell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Catrell went from 107 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Catrell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Catrell, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Black (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Catrell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Catrell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Black (3.8%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Catrell (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 Catrell mean?
An English surname derived from the Old French word "cateril," meaning a landless peasant. 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 Catrell (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 people are called Catrell?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Catrell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.