Cataractonium likely took its name from the Latin word cataracta (ultimately derived from Greek cataràcta, καταρράκτης), meaning either "waterfall" or "portcullis".

[7] The British section of the 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary mentions Catterick three times, but declines it variously as Cataractoni[8] and Cataractone,[9][10] implying the scribe considered it a 3rd-declension name.

It is spelled Caturactonium (Ancient Greek: Κατουρακτόνιον, Katouraktónion) in Ptolemy's Geography and misspelled Cactabactonion in the Ravenna Cosmography.

[12] Though there is no definitive date for the building of the fort, it is likely to have been around AD 70 during the governorship of Q. Petillius Cerialis to support the campaign of Agricola in Scotland.

The first site appeared to be little more than a timber hill fort, but the later and bigger settlement was constructed in stone and had a civilian population too.

[19] The same survey also confirmed the existence of a temporary fort about a quarter of a mile east of the main camp.

[20] Some of the early excavations unearthed two carved stone lions, an aureus of Nero, two cruciform gilt Saxon fibulae and a very large bronze urn.

[22] Excavations in 2014–2016, as part of a scheme of improvements on the A1 road, have recorded thousands of additional artifacts from the Roman town.