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

Kato, 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 Kato surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kato in America

Kato is the 6461st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kato surname appeared 5,257 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 Kato.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kato 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 Kato

The surname KATO has its origins in Japan and can be traced back to the 8th century AD. It derives from the Japanese word "kato," meaning "upper," referring to a high or elevated place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KATO appears in the Shoku Nihongi, an early 9th-century imperial chronicle. It mentions a village named Kato-mura, which translates to "Upper Village," likely the birthplace of someone bearing the name KATO.

During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the name KATO gained prominence as it was borne by several influential samurai families. One notable figure was Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611), a daimyo (feudal lord) who played a crucial role in the Siege of Osaka in 1615.

In the Edo period (1603-1868), the KATO surname was associated with various domains and territories, indicating its spread across Japan. The Kato clan of Aizu, for instance, was a prominent samurai family that ruled the Aizu Domain in present-day Fukushima Prefecture.

Another notable figure was Kato Hiroyuki (1836-1916), a statesman and diplomat who served as the first President of the House of Peers in the early Meiji period. He was instrumental in shaping Japan's modern political system.

The KATO name has also been carried by several renowned writers and artists. One example is Kato Shūichi (1919-2008), a celebrated novelist and essayist known for his works exploring existential themes.

Spanning centuries of Japanese history, the KATO surname has been borne by numerous individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from warfare and politics to literature and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kato

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

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

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

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