2000
#13,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,096
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Catt
An occupational surname referring to a maker of caps, bonnets, or hoods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,078 Americans carry the last name Catt. That puts it at #15,541 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,944 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Catt 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 Catt with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,944
Census rank
#15,541
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,812 bearers of the surname Catt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15541st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Catt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Catt
The surname CATT is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "catt," which referred to a domestic cat. This word, in turn, likely originated from the Late Latin word "cattus."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname CATT can be found in various medieval records and documents from England, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was John Catt, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical characteristics, or locations. In the case of CATT, it is possible that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who had a particular affinity for cats or whose physical appearance or behavior resembled that of a cat.
The surname CATT has also been connected to various place names in England, such as Catton in Norfolk and Catterton in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Notably, the CATT surname has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. One such individual was Sir Robert Catt (c. 1480-1558), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Northampton during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI.
Another notable bearer of the CATT surname was Henry Catt (1779-1837), a British artist and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious institutions of his time.
In the literary world, the surname CATT was carried by Carrie Blake Catt (1859-1947), an American women's rights activist and a prominent leader in the women's suffrage movement in the United States.
The CATT surname has also been associated with the world of sports. One example is Bill Catt (1920-2005), an American professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Falcons and the Boston Celtics in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a precursor to the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Finally, it is worth mentioning John Catt (1932-2015), a British publisher and the founder of Catt Educational Ltd, a company specializing in educational resources and publications for teachers and students.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Catt
Among Census respondents with the surname Catt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Catt 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 Catt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.9% · 1,648
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 61
- Two or more races3.1% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Catt
Catt 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
#14,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
-52 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 1,230 places
2020
#15,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,812
-232 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 970 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,341 | 2,096 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,571 | 2,044 | 0.69 | -52 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 1,230 places |
| 2020 | #15,541 | 1,812 | 0.61 | -232 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 970 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 Catt 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 | #14,571 | #15,541 | -6.7% |
| Count | 2,044 | 1,812 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.61 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Catt bearers went from 2,044 to 1,812 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 970 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,571 to #15,541.
FAQ
Catt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Catt?
Name Census estimates that about 2,078 living Americans carry the surname Catt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,944 residents.
How common is Catt?
Catt ranks #15,541 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,812 people with the surname Catt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,078), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Catt.
Has Catt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Catt went from 2,044 recorded bearers to 1,812. That is a decrease of 232 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,571 to #15,541.
What does the Census say about the background of Catt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Catt, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Catt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (1,648 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Catt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.9%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Catt (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 Catt mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker of caps, bonnets, or hoods. 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 Catt (0.61 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 Americans have the surname Catt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.