A surname, from Hebrew.
"Many people with the surname Katz trace their family name back to a Hebrew origin."
The name Katz is often associated with Jewish heritage as an abbreviation for "righteous priest," yet it also appears among non-Jewish Germans derived from words meaning "cat" or place names containing that root. Because the term exists in both communities, its specific origin can vary depending on whether it stems from a religious title or a common animal reference.