The baby name Cato is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkeɪ.toʊ/ (KAY-toh); Classical Latin: /ˈka.toː/ (KAH-toh).
Cato is Latin in Origin.
The baby name Cato is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkeɪ.toʊ/ (KAY-toh); Classical Latin: /ˈka.toː/ (KAH-toh).
Cato is Latin in Origin.
Cato is a Latin cognomen turned given name, from catus “shrewd, skillful, wise.” In classical Rome it was masculine, but today it is often treated as unisex in English and Scandinavian use. The meaning centers on prudence and clear judgment. In Dutch and Flemish, Cato is also an independent feminine short form of Catharina (Katherine), which carries the traditional meaning “pure,” giving the name a parallel etymology in those languages.
The name evokes Roman statesmen Cato the Elder and Cato the Younger, emblematic of Stoic virtue and republican rigor. Admired during the Renaissance and Enlightenment, it gained Anglophone currency via Addison’s tragedy Cato (1712), influential in colonial America; the name appears both among patriots and in records of the enslaved, reflecting classical naming patterns of the era. Variants and related forms include Kato, Caton (as a surname), Dutch feminine Cato, and Hungarian Kató.
| Cato the Elder Cato the Elder was a Roman statesman most famous for his strict conservatism and strong opposition to Greek cultural influence in Rome. Also known as Cato the Censor, he was a soldier, senator, and historian who wrote Origines, one of the earliest histories of Rome written in Latin. | Cato the Younger Cato the Younger was a Roman senator best known for fiercely defending the Roman Republic and its traditional values during its final years. Also called Cato Minor, he became a symbol of principled resistance to corruption and tyranny in the late Roman Republic. |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN | 0 | #86 | 1 | 3,857 | |
| Norway | Boys | 2015 | #135 | 4 | 471 |
| RS | Boys | 0 | #154 | 1 | 2,277 |
| Belgium | Girls | 2021 | #176 | 21 | 416 |
| Sweden | Boys | 2013 | #189 | 2 | 1,429 |
| DK | 0 | #206 | 1 | 5,198 | |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| MO | Boys | 0 | #231 | 4 | 5,842 |
| TW | Boys | 0 | #256 | 1 | 7,111 |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #262 | 2 | 7,056 |
| JM | Boys | 0 | #293 | 1 | 6,876 |
| JP | Boys | 0 | #303 | 1 | 7,909 |
| Canada | Boys | 2019 | #323 | 5 | 2,618 |
| PE | 0 | #329 | 1 | 6,350 | |
| DK | Boys | 0 | #330 | 3 | 7,401 |
| CN | Boys | 0 | #331 | 1 | 9,639 |
| HK | 0 | #338 | 11 | 8,483 | |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #343 | 1 | 15,378 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #361 | 1 | 8,138 |
| MU | Boys | 0 | #368 | 2 | 8,477 |
| PT | Boys | 0 | #381 | 1 | 7,951 |
| NL | 0 | #382 | 10 | 2,481 | |
| BO | 0 | #408 | 1 | 6,868 | |
| UY | Boys | 0 | #408 | 6 | 5,922 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #424 | 1 | 15,987 |
| CL | 0 | #433 | 2 | 6,867 | |
| MX | 0 | #443 | 3 | 8,339 | |
| AR | Boys | 0 | #446 | 22 | 7,628 |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #466 | 1 | 10,523 |
| ZA | 0 | #469 | 6 | 14,421 | |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #490 | 38 | 12,905 |
| GT | Boys | 0 | #499 | 1 | 7,625 |
| PA | Boys | 0 | #501 | 5 | 9,305 |
| CR | Boys | 0 | #507 | 4 | 10,188 |
| CO | 0 | #510 | 1 | 7,768 | |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #523 | 1 | 11,913 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #526 | 1 | 12,621 |
| UY | Girls | 0 | #536 | 1 | 6,731 |
| LY | 0 | #559 | 1 | 12,703 | |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #561 | 1 | 19,177 |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #593 | 5 | 20,968 |
| BO | Boys | 0 | #622 | 1 | 9,244 |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #630 | 1 | 8,289 |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #632 | 34 | 13,390 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #646 | 5 | 16,104 |
| BO | Girls | 0 | #651 | 1 | 9,488 |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #695 | 3 | 13,071 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #739 | 1 | 17,960 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #743 | 1 | 18,093 |
| NL | Girls | 0 | #746 | 211 | 5,933 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #837 | 15 | 14,098 |
| United States | Boys | 2024 | #853 | 40 | 7,044 |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| PE | Boys | 0 | #866 | 13 | 14,506 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #903 | 18 | 15,656 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #915 | 4 | 17,948 |
| Spain | Boys | 0 | #917 | 14 | 5,610 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #921 | 5 | 15,035 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #923 | 60 | 16,355 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #1,000 | 2 | 16,906 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #1,002 | 8 | 14,742 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,007 | 8 | 25,931 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,010 | 1 | 14,861 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,129 | 13 | 25,928 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,141 | 3 | 22,615 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,152 | 1 | 16,140 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,181 | 2 | 25,439 |
| MA | 0 | #1,197 | 3 | 20,986 | |
| DZ | 0 | #1,232 | 3 | 20,130 | |
| TR | 0 | #1,249 | 6 | 19,440 | |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,265 | 3 | 17,781 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,269 | 4 | 25,619 |
| IT | Boys | 0 | #1,460 | 12 | 10,046 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,688 | 4 | 28,008 |
Cato is popular in 48 countries — most recent births per country:
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