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

Katona, 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 Katona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Katona in America

Katona is the 18808th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Katona surname appeared 1,456 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 Katona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Katona 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 Katona

The surname Katona is of Hungarian origin, deriving from the Hungarian word 'katona' which translates to 'soldier' or 'warrior'. This name is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages, a period when Hungary was engaged in numerous military campaigns and battles.

The Katona surname can be traced back to the 13th century, when it first appeared in historical records. During this time, Hungary was ruled by the Árpád dynasty, and the country's borders were constantly shifting due to territorial conflicts with neighboring kingdoms.

One of the earliest known references to the Katona name is found in a 14th century manuscript from the Hungarian town of Szeged, which mentions a man named Katona Péter, who served as a soldier in the army of King Louis I of Hungary (1326-1382).

In the 15th century, the Katona surname became more prominent, particularly in the regions of Transdanubia and the Great Hungarian Plain. During this period, Hungary faced constant threats from the Ottoman Empire, and many men with the surname Katona were likely enlisted in the Hungarian military to defend the kingdom.

Notable historical figures with the surname Katona include István Katona (1732-1811), a Hungarian Jesuit priest, historian, and author, who wrote extensively about the history of Hungary and its people. Another prominent individual was József Katona (1791-1830), a Hungarian dramatist and playwright, best known for his tragedy 'Bánk bán'.

Other noteworthy individuals with the Katona surname include Lajos Katona (1862-1910), a Hungarian architect responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Budapest, and Nándor Katona (1864-1932), a Hungarian jurist and politician who served as the Minister of Justice in the Kingdom of Hungary.

In the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the Katona surname was István Katona (1915-1987), a Hungarian football player and coach. He played as a defender for several Hungarian clubs and was a member of the Hungarian national team that won the gold medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

The Katona surname has a rich history deeply rooted in Hungarian military and cultural traditions, reflecting the country's turbulent past and the bravery of its soldiers and warriors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Katona

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

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

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

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