Find out how popular the last name Gato is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Gato.

Gato, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Gato surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gato in America

Gato is the 43651st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gato surname appeared 494 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gato.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gato to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Gato

The surname Gato originated from Spain and Portugal during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish and Portuguese word "gato" which means "cat" in English. The name likely referred to someone with a cat-like appearance or behavior, or perhaps someone who kept cats as pets.

Gato is an ancient surname that can be traced back to the 12th century in Iberian records. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the medieval Catalan manuscript "Llibre del Repartiment" which recorded the names of families who participated in the reconquest of Valencia in 1238. The name Gato is mentioned several times in this record.

During the 13th century, the name Gato was found in various regions of Spain and Portugal, particularly in areas such as Andalusia, Extremadura, and the Algarve. Some variations of the name included Gatto, Gatu, and Gati, reflecting regional dialects and spelling variations.

In the 14th century, a notable individual named Pedro Gato was a prominent Spanish nobleman and military commander who served under King Alfonso XI of Castile. He participated in the Battle of Rio Salado in 1340 against the Marinid dynasty of Morocco.

Another historical figure with the surname Gato was João Gato, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator. He played a crucial role in the early Portuguese expeditions along the West African coast, contributing to the exploration and expansion of the Portuguese Empire.

In the 16th century, the name Gato was also found in some early Spanish and Portuguese colonial records from the Americas. For instance, Alonso Gato was a Spanish conquistador who accompanied Hernán Cortés in the conquest of Mexico in the 1520s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gato include Juan Gato, a Spanish painter from the 17th century known for his religious artworks, and Tomás Gato, a 19th-century Spanish architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Madrid.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gato

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Gato.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Gato was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Gato has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Gato was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gato, please contact us.

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