Explore the Family Name Catalano

The meaning of Catalano

Italian: ethnic and habitational name for someone from Catalonia. The name is widespread in Italy, especially southern Italy, a reflection of the migration of Catalonians to Italy in the 11th and 13th centuries, and of the strong commercial and social links between the Catalan-Aragonese realm and the Mediterranean coast of Italy at that time. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Salvatore, Vito, Rocco, Carmine, Santo, Antonio, Silvio, Carlo, Giovanni, Nino, Orazio.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Catalano in the United States?

According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Catalano saw a minor dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000 it was ranked 3,382 in terms of commonality, but by 2010 it had fallen to 3,574th place, representing a decline of 5.68%. However, the actual count of individuals with the Catalano surname increased during this time period, from 9,671 in 2000 to 9,973 in 2010 – a modest growth of 3.12%.

20002010Change
Rank#3,382#3,574-5.68%
Count9,6719,9733.12%
Proportion per 100k3.593.38-5.85%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Catalano

In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts among those bearing the Catalano surname between 2000 and 2010. The proportion identifying as White dropped slightly from 94.94% to 93.12%, while those identifying as Hispanic showed a significant increase, more than half, from 3.02% to 4.57%. Additionally, there were notable increases in the number of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.54% to 0.80%) and Black (from 0.13% to 0.28%). The group identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a slight increase, while those identifying with two or more races declined somewhat.

20002010Change
White94.94%93.12%-1.92%
Hispanic3.02%4.57%51.32%
Two or More Races1.26%1.1%-12.7%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.54%0.8%48.15%
Black0.13%0.28%115.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.1%0.12%20%

Catalano ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Catalano is Italian, which comprises 41.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (23.2%) and French & German (13.7%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Italian41.7%
British & Irish23.2%
French & German13.7%
Other21.4%
Catalano

Possible origins of the surname Catalano

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Catalano have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Sicily, Italy69.90%
Campania, Italy69.20%
Calabria, Italy66.20%
Lazio, Italy56.90%
Abruzzo, Italy56.20%

What Catalano haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Catalano is J-M92, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M92 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include J-L25 and R-CTS6889, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Russo, Klein, Miller, Rizzo, Wolf, Wagner, Hoffman, Michel, Esposito, Fischer.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Catalano surname are: T2, H, H1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

catalanoPaternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Catalano have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Catalano

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Catalano" Surname 40.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Catalano

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Catalano" Surname 33.3%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Catalano

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Catalano" Surname 17.4%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Catalano

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Catalano" Surname 15.4%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Catalano?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Catalano are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Italian 58.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%