NameCensus.

UK surname

Katz

A surname of German and Jewish origin, derived from the German word "Katze," meaning "cat."

In the 1881 census there were 4 people recorded with the Katz surname, ranking it #33,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 679, ranked #7,896, up from #33,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Gateshead and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Katz is 705 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 16875.0%.

1881 census count

4

Ranked #33,288

Modern count

679

2016, ranked #7,896

Peak year

2014

705 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Katz had 4 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 679 in 2016, ranked #7,896.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 348 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Katz surname distribution map

The map shows where the Katz surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Katz surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Katz over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5 #32,456
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 4 #33,288
1891 historical 57 #29,533
1901 historical 214 #14,517
1911 historical 348 #10,297
1997 modern 524 #8,989
1998 modern 552 #8,909
1999 modern 541 #9,092
2000 modern 542 #9,056
2001 modern 514 #9,267
2002 modern 520 #9,377
2003 modern 550 #8,843
2004 modern 564 #8,709
2005 modern 579 #8,482
2006 modern 588 #8,406
2007 modern 598 #8,375
2008 modern 598 #8,437
2009 modern 604 #8,557
2010 modern 635 #8,398
2011 modern 613 #8,539
2012 modern 660 #7,975
2013 modern 678 #7,941
2014 modern 705 #7,728
2015 modern 686 #7,846
2016 modern 679 #7,896

Geography

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Where Katz' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Manchester and Southampton St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Gateshead, Barnet and Camden. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Southampton St Mary Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 001 Hackney
2 Gateshead 008 Gateshead
3 Barnet 037 Barnet
4 Barnet 033 Barnet
5 Camden 008 Camden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Katz

These lists show first names that appear often with the Katz surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Katz

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Katz, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Katz surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Katz household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Katz is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Katz is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Katz falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Katz is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Katz, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Katz

The surname Katz is of German and Jewish origin, derived from the Middle High German word "katze" or "katze," meaning "cat." It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 12th or 13th century in the Rhineland region of Germany.

The name may have been initially used as a nickname or a descriptive name for an individual who had a particularly feline-like appearance or behavior. Alternatively, it could have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with cats, such as a cat breeder or a person responsible for controlling the cat population in a certain area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Katz can be found in the Judengasse, a Jewish quarter in the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, where a family by the name of Katz is mentioned in documents dating back to the late 14th century.

In the 15th century, the surname Katz appears in various records throughout the Holy Roman Empire, including the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history published in 1493. This suggests that the name had already become well-established by that time.

Notable individuals with the surname Katz throughout history include:

1. Abraham Katz (1847-1924), a prominent Russian-born American Talmudic scholar and rabbi. 2. Moses ben Jacob Katz (1612-1674), a Polish-born rabbi and author of the influential work "Talmudic Methodology." 3. Wilbur Katz (1905-1986), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who worked closely with the NAACP. 4. Jacob Katz (1904-1998), a Polish-born Israeli historian and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, known for his research on Jewish social and economic history. 5. Isaac Katz (1712-1786), a German-born rabbi and author of several works on Jewish law and ethics.

It is worth noting that variations of the spelling, such as Katz, Katz, or Katze, may have been used interchangeably in different regions and time periods, reflecting the linguistic diversity and evolution of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Katz families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Katz surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 2 Katz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.34x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 2 4.34x
Morayshire 1 166.67x
Surrey 1 5.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 2 Katz' recorded in 1881 and an index of 71.43x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 2 71.43x
Drainie 1 2000.00x
Lambeth 1 29.50x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Katz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Katz surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Robt. 1
Solomon 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Katz households.

Occupation Count
Comm Clk Colonial 1
Tailor 1

FAQ

Katz surname: questions and answers

How common was the Katz surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4 people were recorded with the Katz surname. That placed it at #33,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Katz surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 679 in 2016. That gives Katz a modern rank of #7,896.

What does the Katz surname mean?

A surname of German and Jewish origin, derived from the German word "Katze," meaning "cat."

What does the Katz map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Katz bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.