2000
#1,882
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,498
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.49
Uncommon Last name
Casillas
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone living near or in one or more small houses or huts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,819 Americans carry the last name Casillas. That puts it at #1,612 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casillas surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,810
Census rank
#1,612
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,643 bearers of the surname Casillas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1612th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casillas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casillas
The surname Casillas has its origins in Spain and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "casilla," which means a small house or cottage. The name likely originated from someone who lived in a modest dwelling or may have been a descriptor for a person who worked as a caretaker or groundskeeper of such a property.
The earliest recorded mention of the surname Casillas can be found in medieval Spanish documents and records from the 13th century. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Libro de las Behetrías, a manuscript dating back to 1352 that documented land ownership and taxation in the region of Castile.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Casillas began to spread across various regions of Spain, particularly in areas like Andalusia, Castile-La Mancha, and Extremadura. It is also believed that the name may have been introduced to other parts of the Spanish empire, including the Americas, through the migration and settlement of Spanish colonists.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Casillas was Pedro de Casillas, a Spanish explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in the early 16th century. Another notable figure was Bartolomé de Casillas, a Spanish military officer and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of fortifications in the Philippines during the 17th century.
In later centuries, the surname Casillas continued to be associated with various notable figures. For example, Francisco Casillas y Acevedo (1766-1828) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1820 to 1823. Leopoldo Casillas (1842-1901) was a Mexican painter and art teacher known for his contributions to the Mexican art scene in the late 19th century.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Casillas is Iker Casillas, the former Spanish professional footballer and goalkeeper who was born in 1981. He played for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, winning numerous titles and accolades throughout his career, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup and two European Championships.
While the surname Casillas has its roots in Spain, it has since spread globally through migration and cultural exchange, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of the world, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries and regions with historical ties to Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casillas
Among Census respondents with the surname Casillas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Casillas bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Casillas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino93.5% · 20,234
- White5.2% · 1,122
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 84
- Two or more races0.4% · 77
- Black or African American0.3% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casillas
Casillas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,710
+5,212 bearers (+29.8%)
Per 100,000 7.70
Rank movement Up 303 places
2020
#1,612
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,643
-1,067 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 7.24
Rank movement Down 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,882 | 17,498 | 6.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,579 | 22,710 | 7.70 | +5,212 bearers (+29.8%) | Up 303 places |
| 2020 | #1,612 | 21,643 | 7.24 | -1,067 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 33 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Casillas surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,579 | #1,612 | -2.1% |
| Count | 22,710 | 21,643 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.70 | 7.24 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casillas bearers went from 22,710 to 21,643 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,579 to #1,612.
FAQ
Casillas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casillas?
Name Census estimates that about 24,819 living Americans carry the surname Casillas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,810 residents.
How common is Casillas?
Casillas ranks #1,612 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,643 people with the surname Casillas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,819), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Casillas.
Has Casillas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casillas went from 22,710 recorded bearers to 21,643. That is a decrease of 1,067 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,579 to #1,612.
What does the Census say about the background of Casillas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casillas, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 93.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Casillas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (20,234 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casillas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (93.5%), White (5.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Casillas (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Casillas mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone living near or in one or more small houses or huts. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Casillas (7.24 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Casillas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.