Boy · #3,298 in 2026

Cato

Cato is the given name of:Cato Alexander (1780–1858), American emancipated slave and bar owner, considered by some to be "America's first celebrity bartender" Cato Erstad, Norwegian footballer Cato Maximilian Guldberg (1836–1902), Norwegian mathematician and chemist Cato Guhnfeldt, Norwegian journalist and non-fiction writer Cato Hansen, Norwegian footballer Cato André Hansen, Norwegian football…

  • Ancient Roman
  • Dutch
Current Rank
#3,298
Peak Rank
#700 (2024)
Total Babies
702
5-Yr Trend
+15%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2024
Peak Year
#700
Peak Rank
702
Total Count
58
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Cato

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Cato is the given name of:Cato Alexander (1780–1858), American emancipated slave and bar owner, considered by some to be "America's first celebrity bartender" Cato Erstad, Norwegian footballer Cato Maximilian Guldberg (1836–1902), Norwegian mathematician and chemist Cato Guhnfeldt, Norwegian journalist and non-fiction writer Cato Hansen, Norwegian footballer Cato André Hansen, Norwegian football…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Ancient Roman
  • Dutch

The Story of Cato

The earliest SSA record of Cato as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 6 babies received it. 2024 was its biggest year on record, with 40 newborns named Cato — #3,036 in the national rankings. About 35% of every Cato on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Cato ranks #3,298 for baby boys with 36 births, gradually rising (+15%). All told, over 702 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Cato

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Cato. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Cato

Phonetically similar names — useful when Cato is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Cato

What does the name Cato mean?
Cato is the given name of:Cato Alexander (1780–1858), American emancipated slave and bar owner, considered by some to be "America's first celebrity bartender" Cato Erstad, Norwegian footballer Cato Maximilian Guldberg (1836–1902), Norwegian mathematician and chemist Cato Guhnfeldt, Norwegian journalist and non-fiction writer Cato Hansen, Norwegian footballer Cato André Hansen, Norwegian football…
What is the origin of the name Cato?
Cato has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Ancient Roman, Dutch.
How popular is Cato in 2026?
In 2026, Cato ranks #3,298 among boys' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year.
When was Cato most popular?
Cato reached its peak popularity in 2024, ranking #700 that year with 40 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Cato most popular?
Cato has historically been most popular in California, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Cato.
Is Cato a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Cato is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Cato?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Cato include Campbell, Fielding, Sigurd. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Cato?
Common variants and related forms of Cato include Catharina, Ina, Katinka, Katrien, Katrijn, Rina. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👦
Campbell
Peak #700
👦
Fielding
Peak #700
👦
Sigurd
Peak #700
👦
Masao
Peak #700
👦
Eloy
Peak #700
👦
Isai
Peak #700
👦
Arlington
Peak #701
👦
Hillard
Peak #699

About the name Cato

Cato is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 702 births in the dataset. Cato's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #700. Use the chart and map above to compare Cato's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.