2000
#46,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 431
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Kattan
An Arabic occupational surname referring to someone who traded in cotton or cotton cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 709 Americans carry the last name Kattan. That puts it at #38,554 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 483,433 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kattan 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
709
1 in 483,433
Census rank
#38,554
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
618
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 618 bearers of the surname Kattan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38554th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kattan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kattan
The surname Kattan has its origins in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian Peninsula. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic word "qattan," which means "cotton farmer" or "cotton merchant." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the cotton industry, either as cultivators or traders.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Kattan surname can be found in historical documents from the 7th century, during the early years of the Islamic era. It is mentioned in the writings of Arab scholars and historians, indicating that the name was already well-established by that time.
As the centuries passed, the Kattan family spread across various regions of the Middle East and North Africa. They can be found in genealogical records and manuscripts from countries such as Egypt, Syria, and Morocco, among others.
One notable figure bearing the Kattan surname was Abu al-Qasim Kattan (1061-1121), a renowned Islamic scholar and poet from Cordoba, Spain. He was highly respected for his contributions to Arabic literature and his expertise in Islamic jurisprudence.
Another prominent individual with the Kattan surname was Ahmad Kattan (1919-2005), a Palestinian author and literary critic. He was born in Acre, Palestine, and his works explored themes of exile, identity, and the Palestinian struggle for independence.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Kattan family emigrated to India, where they established themselves as successful merchants and businessmen. One such individual was Mirza Muhammad Kattan (1630-1695), a wealthy trader and landowner who played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Mughal Empire.
The Kattan surname can also be traced back to certain place names in the Middle East, such as Kattan (also spelled Kuttân), a village in the Haifa District of present-day Israel. This village was once home to a sizable population of Kattan families.
Another notable figure with the Kattan surname was Naim Kattan (1928-2021), a Canadian writer and academic of Iraqi-Jewish descent. He was born in Baghdad and was a prominent figure in the French-Canadian literary scene, known for his explorations of cultural identity and diaspora experiences.
While the Kattan surname has its roots in the Middle East, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the cotton trade and cultivation in the Arabian Peninsula, making it a name with a rich and fascinating history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kattan
Among Census respondents with the surname Kattan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kattan 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 Kattan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 483
- Hispanic or Latino17.8% · 110
- Two or more races2.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kattan
Kattan 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
#42,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 508
+77 bearers (+17.9%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Up 3,883 places
2020
#38,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 618
+110 bearers (+21.7%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Up 4,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,523 | 431 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,640 | 508 | 0.17 | +77 bearers (+17.9%) | Up 3,883 places |
| 2020 | #38,554 | 618 | 0.21 | +110 bearers (+21.7%) | Up 4,086 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 Kattan 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 | #42,640 | #38,554 | 9.6% |
| Count | 508 | 618 | 21.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.21 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kattan bearers went from 508 to 618 (+21.7% change). The surname moved up 4,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,640 to #38,554.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kattan
FAQ
Kattan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kattan?
Name Census estimates that about 709 living Americans carry the surname Kattan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 483,433 residents.
How common is Kattan?
Kattan ranks #38,554 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.21 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 618 people with the surname Kattan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (709), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.21 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 Kattan.
Has Kattan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kattan went from 508 recorded bearers to 618. That is an increase of 110 (+21.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,640 to #38,554.
What does the Census say about the background of Kattan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kattan, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (17.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kattan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (483 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kattan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Hispanic (17.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Kattan (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 Kattan mean?
An Arabic occupational surname referring to someone who traded in cotton or cotton cloth. 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 Kattan (0.21 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 people are called Kattan?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Kattan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.