2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cattle
English surname derived from an ancestor's occupational link to cattle farming or herding.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Cattle. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cattle 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 Cattle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Cattle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cattle
The surname "Cattle" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "catel," which referred to property or possessions, particularly livestock or cattle. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who were cattle herders, farmers, or landowners with significant livestock holdings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "Cattle" can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where a person named William Cattle is mentioned. The name also appears in various tax records and manorial rolls from the same era, indicating its prevalence in various regions of England.
During the 14th century, the surname "Cattle" is documented in the Wiltshire Subsidy Rolls, where a John Cattle is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the name is found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, suggesting a presence in both southern and northern England.
In the 15th century, the surname "Cattle" appeared in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence between members of the influential Paston family. This provides evidence of the name's association with the gentry class during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname "Cattle" include:
1. John Cattle (c. 1550 - c. 1615), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.
2. William Cattle (1609 - 1679), an English clergyman and poet who served as the Rector of Bawdrip in Somerset.
3. Thomas Cattle (1737 - 1813), a British engraver and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
4. Harriet Cattle (1809 - 1876), a British writer and poet who published several works, including "The Queen of Connaught" and "The Soldier's Widow."
5. Sir Evelyn Cattle (1886 - 1962), a British civil servant who served as the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1936 to 1946.
While the surname "Cattle" is not among the most common in England, it has been documented for several centuries and has been associated with various professions and social classes throughout its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cattle
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cattle 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 Cattle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.1% · 75
- Black or African American23.9% · 28
- Two or more races6.0% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cattle
Cattle 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
-31 bearers (-22.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 35,793 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+10 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,358 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -31 bearers (-22.5%) | Down 35,793 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 8,358 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 Cattle 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 | #144,270 | 5.5% |
| Count | 107 | 117 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cattle bearers went from 107 to 117 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 8,358 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #144,270.
FAQ
Cattle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cattle?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Cattle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Cattle?
Cattle ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Cattle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Cattle.
Has Cattle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cattle went from 107 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 10 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Cattle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattle, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.1%. The next largest groups are Black (23.9%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Cattle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.1% (75 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cattle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.1%), Black (23.9%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Cattle (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 Cattle mean?
English surname derived from an ancestor's occupational link to cattle farming or herding. 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 Cattle (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 Cattle?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Cattle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.