Catalano
An Italian surname meaning “Catalan” or “from Catalonia,” originally used for someone from that region or connected with its people.
The #3,574 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 30,958 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Catalano is an Italian surname built from the ethnonym for a person from Catalonia. The root ultimately goes back to Catalonia/Catalan, referring to the historical region in northeastern Spain. In surname use, it would have identified someone as Catalan by origin, association, or ancestry rather than describing a trade or personal trait.
History
The name is found in Italy, especially in the south, where ethnic nicknames and place-based bynames often became hereditary surnames. It may also have entered Italian naming through medieval contact with Catalan speakers and the historical presence of Catalan influence in parts of the Mediterranean world. In modern times it is established as an Italian surname in both Italy and diaspora communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it began as an ethnic label, Catalano is one of those surnames that can preserve a very old clue about migration or cultural contact.