Boys' name · since 1880
Cato
Cato has 675 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2025 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,591 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,798 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 675
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
Yes -- Cato is the #2798 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 675 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cato has been recorded 675 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #2798 nationally and more common than 80% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #6,591 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,798 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 675 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cato ranks #6,591 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,798 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 675 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #6,591 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,798 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 675
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
Cato's 675 recorded births place it above 85.49% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Cato compares
675 Top 38% higher than 62% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cato's all-time total is 83% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cato | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 675 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 34 | 22,252 |
Cato's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cato's SSA record in two at 1980 and the more recent half accounts for 73% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 27%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2025 peak of 45, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cato popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 45
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cato by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (217 births, 32% of the file).
2020s was Cato's strongest decade.
217 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Cato births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 6
1880s
6 births
- 1890s 8
1890s
8 births
- 1910s 49
1910s
49 births
- 1920s 41
1920s
41 births
- 1930s 10
1930s
10 births
- 1940s 28
1940s
28 births
- 1950s 16
1950s
16 births
- 1960s 6
1960s
6 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
- 2000s 58
2000s
58 births
- 2010s
2010s
190 births
- 2020s
2020s
217 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 217 births (32% of all-time use).
How Cato compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cato's total volume
Cato by state
Where Cato concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 21 | 3.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 17 | 2.5% |
| #3 | Colorado | | 5 | 0.7% |
21 of 675 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cato? ▼
Where does Cato sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Cato most popular? ▼
Where is Cato most popular? ▼
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What to do with Cato's data
- California records the most Catos (21 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cato
Nearby Names Like Cato
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cato
Compare Cato side by side: Cato vs Catherine Cato vs Catarino Cato vs Catlin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cato
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cato: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2025)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cato draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.