Find out how popular the last name Castañeda is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Castañeda.

Castañeda, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Castañeda surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castañeda in America

Castañeda is the 464th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castañeda surname appeared 71,368 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Castañeda.

We can also compare 2010 data for Castañeda to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Castañeda

The surname Castaneda originates from Spain. It emerged during the Middle Ages, derived from the Spanish word "castaño," meaning "chestnut tree" or "chestnut-colored." This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a chestnut tree or had a physical resemblance to the chestnut color.

The earliest recorded instances of the Castaneda surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Castile and Andalusia, Spain. Historical documents from that period, such as property records and local chronicles, mention individuals bearing this surname.

One notable early reference to the name Castaneda can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrias," a medieval manuscript compiled in the 14th century, which listed noble families and their properties. It included entries related to the Castaneda family, indicating their prominence in certain areas of Spain.

During the 15th century, the Castaneda surname gained recognition through the exploits of Diego García de Castaneda, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés. García de Castaneda was born in Andalusia around 1490 and died in Mexico in the mid-16th century.

Another notable figure was Fray Juan de Castaneda, a Spanish friar and historian who lived in the 16th century. He authored the "Relación de la Jornada de Cíbola," a chronicle detailing the Spanish expedition led by Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Gold in present-day New Mexico and Arizona.

In the 17th century, Pedro de Castaneda y Leca, a Spanish nobleman and military commander, played a significant role in the conquest of Chile. He was born in Extremadura, Spain, in 1589 and died in Concepción, Chile, in 1662.

During the 18th century, Ignacio de Castaneda y Lara, a Spanish colonial administrator, served as the governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala from 1744 to 1750. He was born in Seville, Spain, in the late 17th century.

In the 19th century, Manuel Castaneda y Ramirez, a Mexican politician and military officer, participated in the Mexican War of Independence against Spain. He was born in Jalisco, Mexico, in 1785 and died in 1851.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castañeda

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Castañeda.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Castañeda was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Castañeda has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Castañeda was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Castañeda, please contact us.

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