2000
#26,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 867
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Katt
An occupational surname referring to a cat herder or cat keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,041 Americans carry the last name Katt. That puts it at #28,009 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 329,255 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Katt 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
1.0K
1 in 329,255
Census rank
#28,009
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
908
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 908 bearers of the surname Katt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28009th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Katt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Katt
The surname KATT originates from Sweden and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old Swedish word "katt," which means "cat." The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who had a close association with cats or exhibited cat-like characteristics.
One of the earliest documented instances of the KATT surname can be found in the Swedish Census Records of 1590, which mentions a family by the name of Katt residing in the village of Kattarp, located in the southern region of Skåne.
In the 17th century, the KATT surname gained prominence in the historical records of Sweden. A notable figure was Johan Katt, a merchant and shipowner from Gothenburg, who lived between 1635 and 1702. He played a significant role in establishing trade routes between Sweden and other European countries.
The KATT surname also appeared in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name was recorded as "Catt," which was likely an anglicized version of the Swedish "Katt."
During the 18th century, the KATT surname continued to spread across Scandinavia. One prominent individual was Carl Katt, a Swedish military officer and explorer who lived from 1722 to 1789. He is renowned for his expeditions to the Arctic regions and his contributions to the mapping of northern territories.
Another notable figure was Brita Katt, a Swedish author and poet who lived from 1755 to 1828. She was renowned for her passionate writings on women's rights and social justice, which were considered groundbreaking for her time.
In the 19th century, the KATT surname found its way to North America through Swedish immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances was Gustav Katt, a Swedish immigrant who settled in Minnesota in the 1870s. He became a successful farmer and contributed to the development of the local agricultural community.
Another prominent individual was Anna Katt, a Swedish-American educator who lived from 1865 to 1947. She founded several schools in Minnesota and played a crucial role in promoting education among Swedish-American communities.
As the KATT surname spread across the globe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Kat, Kath, and Katte, reflecting the linguistic adaptations in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Katt
Among Census respondents with the surname Katt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Katt 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 Katt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 828
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 20
- Two or more races2.2% · 20
- Black or African American0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Katt
Katt 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
#27,707
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 868
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Down 1,238 places
2020
#28,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 908
+40 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.30
Rank movement Down 302 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,469 | 867 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #27,707 | 868 | 0.29 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,238 places |
| 2020 | #28,009 | 908 | 0.30 | +40 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 302 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 Katt 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 | #27,707 | #28,009 | -1.1% |
| Count | 868 | 908 | 4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.30 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Katt bearers went from 868 to 908 (+4.6% change). The surname moved down 302 positions in the national ranking, going from #27,707 to #28,009.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Katt
FAQ
Katt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Katt?
Name Census estimates that about 1,041 living Americans carry the surname Katt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 329,255 residents.
How common is Katt?
Katt ranks #28,009 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.30 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 908 people with the surname Katt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.30 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 Katt.
Has Katt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Katt went from 868 recorded bearers to 908. That is an increase of 40 (+4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #27,707 to #28,009.
What does the Census say about the background of Katt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Katt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Katt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (828 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Katt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Katt (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 Katt mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cat herder or cat 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 Katt (0.30 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 Americans have the surname Katt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.