2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cattermole
A topographic name for someone living near a hole inhabited by wild cats or otters.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Cattermole. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cattermole 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 Cattermole with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Cattermole in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattermole, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cattermole
The surname Cattermole is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cæter" meaning "cat" and "maol" meaning "bald-headed" or "bare". This combination suggests that the name may have been a descriptive nickname or an occupational name for someone who was a skinner or furrier of cats.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272, where it appears as "Catermolle". This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. In the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1275, the name is documented as "Cattemoll".
During the 14th century, the name Cattermole was prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Staffordshire, indicating that these regions were likely the original homelands of families bearing this surname. The Subsidy Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1327 mention a Thomas Cattermole, one of the earliest recorded individuals with this last name.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historic records and manuscripts. John Cattermole, born in 1540 in Staffordshire, is documented in parish registers. Another notable figure from this era is William Cattermole, born in 1568 in Buckinghamshire, who served as a churchwarden and is mentioned in local church records.
The 17th century saw the name Cattermole spread to other parts of England, with records showing families in counties such as Norfolk and Suffolk. One prominent individual from this period was Robert Cattermole, born in 1612 in Norfolk, who was a successful merchant and landowner.
In the 18th century, the surname Cattermole continued to be well-represented in various historical documents. Notable examples include John Cattermole, born in 1723 in Suffolk, who was a respected farmer and landowner, and William Cattermole, born in 1758 in Buckinghamshire, who served as a local magistrate and justice of the peace.
The 19th century brought forth several notable individuals bearing the Cattermole surname. One such figure was George Cattermole, born in 1800 in Norfolk, who was a renowned artist and illustrator known for his watercolor paintings and illustrations of literary works. Another was Charles Cattermole, born in 1832 in Buckinghamshire, who was a prominent architect and designed several notable buildings in London.
These historical records and examples demonstrate the rich heritage and widespread presence of the Cattermole surname throughout England, with its origins dating back to the medieval period and a potential connection to occupations related to the furrier or skinner trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cattermole
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattermole, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cattermole 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 Cattermole surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino10.1% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cattermole
Cattermole appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-12 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 11,901 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 Cattermole 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 | #138,304 | #150,205 | -8.6% |
| Count | 121 | 109 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cattermole bearers went from 121 to 109 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 11,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #150,205.
FAQ
Cattermole surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cattermole?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Cattermole. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Cattermole?
Cattermole ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Cattermole. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Cattermole.
Has Cattermole become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cattermole went from 121 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Cattermole?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattermole, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Cattermole in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cattermole appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (10.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Cattermole (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 Cattermole mean?
A topographic name for someone living near a hole inhabited by wild cats or otters. 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 Cattermole (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 have the surname Cattermole?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.