indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from location)
Usage English
Other Forms FormsCaterale, Catterall, Catterall, Catrehala, Caterhale, Katterall
Meaning & History
This surname is of Old Scandinavian origin, is an English locational name from Catterall, near Garstang in Lancashire, which appeared as "Catrehala" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and "Caterhale" in the Book of Fees of 1212. The place-name itself is composed of the Old Scandinavian elements "kattar, kottr", a cat, and "hali", tail; hence "A cat's tail", here referring to a long, thin piece of land. Locational surnames were originally given to the Lord of the Manor or as a means of identification to those who left their place of birth to seek work elsewhere. Katterall in Norway actually has the same etymology as Catterall in Lancashire. The surname is popular and widespread in Lancashire, and is first recorded in the early 13th Century.