Variant of Scottish Catto.Spanish and Catalan (Cato): cató possibly from a personal name taken with reference to The roman republican Statesman.Cato: swedish perhaps a’soldier s, name likewise bestowed with reference To, cato The roman. statesmanou can find out where the majority of the Cato families were living before they immigrated to the U.S and learn where to focus your search for foreign records. Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure, port of arrival, and destination. from the New York Passenger Lists.