2000
#600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,089
First available Census row
Per 100,000 18.94
Uncommon Last name
Castaneda
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Castañeda, derived from the Spanish castaño, meaning "chestnut tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 78,707 Americans carry the last name Castaneda. That puts it at #474 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 22.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,355 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castaneda 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Castaneda with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
79K
1 in 4,355
Census rank
#474
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
23.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
69K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 68,636 bearers of the surname Castaneda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 22.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 474th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castaneda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castaneda
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 Historical documents from that period, such as property records and local chronicles, mention individuals bearing this surname.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castaneda
Among Census respondents with the surname Castaneda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Castaneda 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 Castaneda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.5% · 63,490
- White4.6% · 3,136
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 1,429
- Two or more races0.4% · 263
- Black or African American0.2% · 167
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 151
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castaneda
Castaneda 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
#464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 71,368
+20,279 bearers (+39.7%)
Per 100,000 24.19
Rank movement Up 136 places
2020
#474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,636
-2,732 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 22.96
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #600 | 51,089 | 18.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #464 | 71,368 | 24.19 | +20,279 bearers (+39.7%) | Up 136 places |
| 2020 | #474 | 68,636 | 22.96 | -2,732 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 10 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 Castaneda 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 | #464 | #474 | -2.2% |
| Count | 71,368 | 68,636 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 24.19 | 22.96 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castaneda bearers went from 71,368 to 68,636 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #464 to #474.
FAQ
Castaneda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castaneda?
Name Census estimates that about 78,707 living Americans carry the surname Castaneda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,355 residents.
How common is Castaneda?
Castaneda ranks #474 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 22.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 23 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 68,636 people with the surname Castaneda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (78,707), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 22.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 22.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 23 of them to have the surname Castaneda.
Has Castaneda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castaneda went from 71,368 recorded bearers to 68,636. That is a decrease of 2,732 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #464 to #474.
What does the Census say about the background of Castaneda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castaneda, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Castaneda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (63,490 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castaneda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.5%), White (4.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.1%). 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 Castaneda (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 Castaneda mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Castañeda, derived from the Spanish castaño, meaning "chestnut tree." 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 Castaneda (22.96 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 share the surname Castaneda?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.