2000
#11,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Gatti
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked with cats, possibly as a cat breeder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,923 Americans carry the last name Gatti. That puts it at #11,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,261 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gatti 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 Gatti with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 117,261
Census rank
#11,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,549 bearers of the surname Gatti in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gatti
The surname GATTI originates from Italy, with its earliest known roots dating back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Italian word "gatto," which means "cat." It is believed that the surname was initially given as a nickname to someone who had a fondness for cats or perhaps possessed cat-like qualities such as agility or stealth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the GATTI surname can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. In this compilation, there is a reference to a person named "Gattone," which is a variation of the surname GATTI.
During the Renaissance period, the GATTI surname gained prominence in various regions of Italy. One notable figure was Giovanni Gatti (1498-1570), an Italian architect and sculptor who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Rome and its surrounding areas.
In the 17th century, the GATTI surname appeared in several historical records, including the Archivio di Stato di Milano (State Archive of Milan). One notable individual from this period was Girolamo Gatti (1609-1675), an Italian painter and etcher known for his works depicting religious themes and landscapes.
The 18th century saw the rise of another prominent figure bearing the GATTI surname, Carlo Gatti (1719-1784). He was an Italian architect and engineer who designed numerous buildings and infrastructure projects in various parts of Italy, including the Basilica of San Paolo Maggiore in Naples.
Moving into the 19th century, the GATTI surname continued to be well-represented in various fields. One notable example is Giuseppe Gatti (1838-1914), an Italian engineer and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the Italian railway system.
Throughout history, several place names have been associated with the GATTI surname. For instance, there is a small town called Gattinara in the Piedmont region of Italy, which derives its name from the Italian word "gatto." Additionally, there are references to places like "Gattaia" and "Gattaria" in historical documents, which may have been named after individuals with the GATTI surname or related to the word "gatto."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gatti
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Gatti 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 Gatti surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,224
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 191
- Two or more races2.3% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 50
- Black or African American0.7% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gatti
Gatti 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
#11,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,888
+279 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 141 places
2020
#11,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,549
-339 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 742 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,154 | 2,609 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,013 | 2,888 | 0.98 | +279 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 141 places |
| 2020 | #11,755 | 2,549 | 0.85 | -339 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 742 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 Gatti 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 | #11,013 | #11,755 | -6.7% |
| Count | 2,888 | 2,549 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.85 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gatti bearers went from 2,888 to 2,549 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 742 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,013 to #11,755.
FAQ
Gatti surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gatti?
Name Census estimates that about 2,923 living Americans carry the surname Gatti. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,261 residents.
How common is Gatti?
Gatti ranks #11,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,549 people with the surname Gatti. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,923), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gatti.
Has Gatti become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gatti went from 2,888 recorded bearers to 2,549. That is a decrease of 339 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,013 to #11,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Gatti?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gatti, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gatti in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,224 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gatti appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Gatti (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 Gatti mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a person who owned or worked with cats, possibly as a cat breeder. 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 Gatti (0.85 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 Gatti?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Gatti on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.