2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Cutajar
A surname of Maltese origin meaning "shoemaker" or "cobbler".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 196 Americans carry the last name Cutajar. That puts it at #109,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,748,747 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cutajar 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 Cutajar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
196
1 in 1,748,747
Census rank
#109,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
171
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 171 bearers of the surname Cutajar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 109993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutajar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cutajar
The surname Cutajar has its origins in Malta, a small island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is believed to have first emerged in the 15th or 16th century, during the period of the Knights of St. John's rule over the Maltese islands.
Cutajar is thought to be derived from the Maltese word "qatarr", which means "drop" or "drip". This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive surname, possibly referring to an occupation or physical characteristic related to water or liquids.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cutajar can be found in the "Militia Rolls" of the Order of St. John, which documented the names of Maltese militia members in the 16th and 17th centuries. These records provide valuable insight into the historical prevalence and distribution of the surname on the Maltese islands.
Notably, the Cutajar surname has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Fra Domenico Cutajar served as a knight of the Order of St. John, playing a significant role in the defense of Malta during the Great Siege of 1565.
Another notable figure was Giuseppe Cutajar, born in 1836, who was a renowned Maltese sculptor and artist. His works can be found adorning various churches and public buildings across Malta, leaving a lasting legacy in the island's artistic heritage.
In the 20th century, Pawlu Cutajar (1899-1972) was a respected Maltese politician and statesman who served as the Minister of Finance and later as the Speaker of the Maltese Parliament. His contributions to the country's economic and political development during the post-World War II period were significant.
More recently, Liam Cutajar (born 1966) is a well-known Maltese writer and playwright. His works have been widely acclaimed and have earned him numerous literary awards, both nationally and internationally.
Another individual of note is Joseph Cutajar (1931-2023), who was a prominent Maltese businessman and philanthropist. He founded one of Malta's largest construction companies and was actively involved in various charitable initiatives, leaving a lasting impact on the island's business and social landscape.
While the Cutajar surname has its roots in Malta, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of the Maltese archipelago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cutajar
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutajar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cutajar 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 Cutajar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cutajar
Cutajar 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
#94,311
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 194
+39 bearers (+25.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 12,166 places
2020
#109,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
-23 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 15,682 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #94,311 | 194 | 0.07 | +39 bearers (+25.2%) | Up 12,166 places |
| 2020 | #109,993 | 171 | 0.06 | -23 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 15,682 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 Cutajar 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 | #94,311 | #109,993 | -16.6% |
| Count | 194 | 171 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.06 | -18.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cutajar bearers went from 194 to 171 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 15,682 positions in the national ranking, going from #94,311 to #109,993.
FAQ
Cutajar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cutajar?
Name Census estimates that about 196 living Americans carry the surname Cutajar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,748,747 residents.
How common is Cutajar?
Cutajar ranks #109,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 171 people with the surname Cutajar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Cutajar.
Has Cutajar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cutajar went from 194 recorded bearers to 171. That is a decrease of 23 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #94,311 to #109,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Cutajar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutajar, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) 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 Cutajar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cutajar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (6.4%), 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 Cutajar (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 Cutajar mean?
A surname of Maltese origin meaning "shoemaker" or "cobbler". 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 Cutajar (0.06 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 Cutajar?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.