2000
#44,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 455
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Katon
An English transliteration of the Japanese surname referring to family members or individuals from Kato, meaning "gate keeper."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 493 Americans carry the last name Katon. That puts it at #52,161 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 695,242 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katon 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.
Bearers in the US
493
1 in 695,242
Census rank
#52,161
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
430
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 430 bearers of the surname Katon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52161st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katon
The surname KATON is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Caton in Lancashire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Catun". The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "catu" meaning cat and "tun" meaning settlement or town, possibly referring to a place where wildcats were numerous.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KATON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, which mention a Richard de Catton. In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Catton, Caton, and Katon, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
During the medieval period, the KATON family held lands and properties in various parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. A notable figure from this era was Sir John Katon, who served as a knight and fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 under King Henry V.
In the 16th century, the name KATON gained prominence with the birth of William Katon (1509-1569), a renowned English scholar and translator. He is best known for his translation of the works of the ancient Greek philosopher Plato from Greek into Latin.
Another influential figure bearing the KATON surname was Elizabeth Katon (1585-1647), a Puritan writer and religious leader who played a significant role in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England. Her published works, such as "A Treatise on the Godly Life," were widely read and influential among the Puritan community.
In the 18th century, the KATON family produced several notable figures, including James Katon (1712-1784), a successful merchant and landowner in Bristol, England. His son, Thomas Katon (1745-1823), was a prominent lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridgwater.
Fast forward to the 19th century, and we find Sir Richard Katon (1823-1901), a British diplomat and statesman who served as the Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and maintaining diplomatic relations between Britain and the Ottoman Empire.
Throughout its history, the surname KATON has been associated with various professions, including scholars, writers, merchants, lawyers, and diplomats, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katon
Among Census respondents with the surname Katon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Katon 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 Katon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.4% · 363
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 25
- Two or more races4.0% · 17
- Black or African American2.8% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katon
Katon 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
#47,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
-3 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 2,509 places
2020
#52,161
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 430
-22 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 5,155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #44,497 | 455 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,006 | 452 | 0.15 | -3 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 2,509 places |
| 2020 | #52,161 | 430 | 0.14 | -22 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 5,155 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 Katon 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 | #47,006 | #52,161 | -11.0% |
| Count | 452 | 430 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.14 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katon bearers went from 452 to 430 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 5,155 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,006 to #52,161.
FAQ
Katon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katon?
Name Census estimates that about 493 living Americans carry the surname Katon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 695,242 residents.
How common is Katon?
Katon ranks #52,161 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 430 people with the surname Katon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Katon.
Has Katon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katon went from 452 recorded bearers to 430. That is a decrease of 22 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #47,006 to #52,161.
What does the Census say about the background of Katon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katon, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Katon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.4% (363 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.4%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Katon (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 Katon mean?
An English transliteration of the Japanese surname referring to family members or individuals from Kato, meaning "gate keeper." 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 Katon (0.14 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 common is the surname Katon?
Find out how common the surname Katon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.