2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cattouse
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a French place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 172 Americans carry the last name Cattouse. That puts it at #121,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,992,758 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cattouse 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
172
1 in 1,992,758
Census rank
#121,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
150
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 150 bearers of the surname Cattouse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 121361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattouse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.0%) and White (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cattouse
The surname Cattouse has its origins in England, and the earliest records of the name date back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "catt" and "hus," meaning "cat house" or "house where cats were kept." This suggests that the name was likely originally an occupational name for someone who was responsible for taking care of cats in a particular household or establishment.
One of the earliest documented mentions of the Cattouse surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named "Radulfus Cathous" is recorded. This spelling variation, "Cathous," provides insight into the evolution of the name over time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a "John Catehous" is mentioned in 1349. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a "William Catehouse."
The Cattouse surname has also been linked to certain place names, such as Catehouse in Shropshire and Cathouse in Lancashire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname and may have influenced its spelling and pronunciation over time.
Notable historical figures with the Cattouse surname include:
1. Sir Robert Cattouse (1493-1562), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire.
2. Elizabeth Cattouse (1524-1598), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Stratford-upon-Avon, known for her extensive knowledge of medicinal plants.
3. John Cattouse (1678-1741), an influential merchant and trader who established trade routes between England and the West Indies.
4. Margaret Cattouse (1722-1798), a philanthropist and activist who advocated for the rights of women and the abolition of slavery.
5. William Cattouse (1810-1883), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House.
While the Cattouse surname is relatively uncommon today, its history can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely originated as an occupational name related to the care and keeping of cats.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cattouse
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattouse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.0%) and White (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cattouse 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 Cattouse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American70.7% · 106
- Two or more races12.0% · 18
- White8.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cattouse
Cattouse 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+38 bearers (+33.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 20,803 places
2020
#121,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
-2 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,327 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | +38 bearers (+33.3%) | Up 20,803 places |
| 2020 | #121,361 | 150 | 0.05 | -2 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 6,327 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 Cattouse 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 | #115,034 | #121,361 | -5.5% |
| Count | 152 | 150 | -1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cattouse bearers went from 152 to 150 (-1.3% change). The surname moved down 6,327 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #121,361.
FAQ
Cattouse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cattouse?
Name Census estimates that about 172 living Americans carry the surname Cattouse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,992,758 residents.
How common is Cattouse?
Cattouse ranks #121,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 150 people with the surname Cattouse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (172), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Cattouse.
Has Cattouse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cattouse went from 152 recorded bearers to 150. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,034 to #121,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Cattouse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cattouse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 70.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.0%) and White (8.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cattouse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.7% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cattouse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (70.7%), Two or More Races (12.0%), White (8.0%). 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 Cattouse (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 Cattouse mean?
A surname of uncertain origin, possibly derived from a French place name. 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 Cattouse (0.05 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 Cattouse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.