Cato
How to say it: KAY-toh · /ˈkeɪtoʊ/
Roman cognomen meaning 'wise, shrewd' - borne by Cato the Elder and used as a stoic classical name.
Cato was the 2,180th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 45 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 79% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #1,953 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #2,180 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 45 |
| Share of births | 1 in 73,674 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +79% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,953 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Cato is climbing: the 2020s are already its best decade.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Cato is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, Dutch, English, Norwegian.
Famous people named Cato
- Cato Maximilian Guldberg (1836–1902)Mathematician and chemist from Norway
- Cato André Hansen (born 1972)Norwegian footballer and manager
- Cato Menkerud (born 1973)Norwegian rally driver
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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