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

Gatto, 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 Gatto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gatto in America

Gatto is the 7421st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gatto surname appeared 4,486 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Gatto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gatto 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 Gatto

The surname Gatto originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "gatto," meaning cat. This suggests that the name may have been a nickname or descriptive name given to someone who had a cat-like appearance or personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Gatto can be found in historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Sicily. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Guglielmo Gatto, a merchant from Genoa who lived in the late 13th century.

In the 14th century, the Gatto family was prominent in the city of Messina, Sicily. Several members of the family held important positions in the local government and were involved in maritime trade. One notable figure was Tommaso Gatto, who served as a magistrate in Messina in the mid-14th century.

The surname Gatto also appeared in historical records from other parts of Italy, such as the Veneto region. In the 15th century, a nobleman named Giovanni Gatto was mentioned in documents from the city of Verona.

As the Gatto family spread throughout Italy over the centuries, various spellings and variations of the name emerged, including Gatti, Gatto, and Gattoni. These variations often reflected regional dialects or local pronunciation differences.

Notable individuals with the surname Gatto include:

1. Alfredo Gatto (1909-1976), an Italian writer and journalist known for his works on art and literature.
2. Salvatore Gatto (1887-1975), an Italian-American businessman and one of the founders of the Tropicana Products Company.
3. Vincenzo Gatto (1832-1893), an Italian painter and sculptor who worked in the Neoclassical style.
4. Giuseppe Gatto (1838-1908), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Italian Parliament.
5. Antonio Gatto (1920-1998), an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his work in the neorealist cinema movement.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Gatto who have made significant contributions throughout history in various fields, including literature, business, art, politics, and filmmaking.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gatto

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

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 Gatto 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 Gatto 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 Gatto was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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