Total births
675
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.
- #3047
- among boys today
- 675
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Cato is the #3047 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 #3047 nationally and more common than 79% 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.
- #3047 among boys today
- 675 born since 1880
- 2020s peak decade
- 79% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cato is currently the #3047 boys' name in America, more common than 79% of boys - 675 born since 1880, peaking in the 2020s.
- #3047
- among boys today
- 675
- born since 1880
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other boys
Cato vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3047
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 79% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
32% of everyone ever named Cato was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
45 babies were named Cato in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Cato compares
675 Top 38% higher than 62% of 14,294 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 84% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cato | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 675 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 45 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#3,047
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Cato's total US births 3.1%
Even split
21 of 675 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cato? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 675 babies named Cato. Today it holds rank #3047 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2025, with 45 births.
When was Cato most popular? ▼
Cato was most popular in the 2020s decade with 217 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Cato most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cato are California (21 births), Texas (17 births), Colorado (5 births).
How long has the name Cato been used? ▼
Records for Cato go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Cato? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Catherine, Catarino, Catlin, Cathy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Catherine Boy
1,822 births
Catarino Boy
#7281 1,690 births
Catlin Boy
446 births
Cathy Boy
343 births
Catalino Boy
228 births
Compare Cato side by side: Cato vs Catherine Cato vs Catarino Cato vs Catlin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cato
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cato: #3047 Boys' Name - 675 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cato. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.