Castin
A variant spelling of the Old Norse name Castan, meaning "chaste" or "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 178 living Americans carry the first name Castin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Castin today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Castin births was 2017 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Castin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
178
~ 1 in 1,925,586 Americans
Peak year
2017
18 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,833
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Castin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Castin from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 103 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Castin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Castin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Castin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Castins live
Origin
Meaning and history of Castin
The given name Castin is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic language, specifically the Brittonic branch spoken in parts of what is now Great Britain and France during the Iron Age and Roman era. The name is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root *kast-, meaning "to twist or braid," which may have referred to the practice of weaving intricate patterns into hair or textiles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 6th-century Breton genealogies, where it appears as Castin map Cynfawr, referring to a minor nobleman from the region of Cornouaille in modern-day Brittany, France. This suggests that the name was in use among the Celtic Britons and their Breton descendants during the early medieval period.
In the 9th century, a Breton monk named Castin is mentioned in the Annals of the Abbey of Redon, a chronicle documenting the history of the Breton monarchy and religious institutions. This Castin is believed to have been a scribe or scholar associated with the abbey, indicating the name's continued usage in the region.
As the name spread beyond its Celtic origins, it gained popularity in various parts of Europe. In the 11th century, a French nobleman named Castin de Montfort is recorded as a participant in the First Crusade, suggesting the name's adoption in feudal France.
Another notable figure bearing the name Castin was a 17th-century French-Acadian trader and interpreter, Jean-Vincent d'Abbadie, Baron de Saint-Castin (c. 1652-1707), who played a significant role in the early colonial history of Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces of Canada) and Maine. He established a trading post and settlement near the Penobscot River, known as Castine, which still bears his name today.
In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of the 19th-century French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac, who featured a character named Castin in his novel "La Muse du département" (The Muse of the County).
While the name Castin may have originated from humble Celtic roots, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, from nobility and religious figures to explorers and literary characters, reflecting its enduring appeal across cultures and time periods.
People
Castin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Castin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Castin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Castin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 178 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Castin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,925,586 US residents.
Is Castin a common name?
We classify Castin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 179 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Castin most popular?
The single biggest year for Castin was 2017, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Castin is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Castin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Castin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Castin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Castin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Castin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Castin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Castin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.