2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Castator
A surname derived from the Latin word 'castare', meaning to prune or trim.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Castator. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castator 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Castator in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castator, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castator
The surname CASTATOR has its origins in medieval Italy, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Latin word "castator," which means "one who guards" or "one who watches over." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been castle guards, watchmen, or sentries.
During the Middle Ages, the CASTATOR name was predominantly found in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, particularly around the cities of Florence and Perugia. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the tax records and municipal archives of these areas.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Guido CASTATOR (1287-1349) was a renowned architect and engineer from Florence, responsible for the design and construction of several fortified structures and defensive towers throughout the region.
By the 16th century, the CASTATOR name had spread to other parts of Italy, including Rome and Naples. One of the most prominent individuals bearing the name during this period was Gian Francesco CASTATOR (1513-1586), a Papal diplomat and ambassador to the court of King Philip II of Spain.
As the CASTATOR family prospered, they established themselves in various professions, including the military, clergy, and academia. Pietro CASTATOR (1633-1701), a Jesuit scholar and theologian, authored several influential works on Catholic doctrine and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the CASTATOR name gained recognition in the arts and literature. Antonio CASTATOR (1714-1788) was a celebrated painter from Naples, known for his vibrant landscapes and portraiture of the Italian aristocracy.
As the CASTATOR family continued to expand and migrate, they left their mark in various corners of Europe and beyond. Adriano CASTATOR (1856-1932), a Italian-American engineer, made significant contributions to the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.
Throughout its long history, the CASTATOR surname has been associated with individuals who have served as guardians, protectors, and overseers in various capacities, reflecting the name's original meaning and the values upheld by its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castator
Among Census respondents with the surname Castator, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Castator 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 Castator surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 110
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castator
Castator 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+6 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,391 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-3 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,042 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 3,391 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 5,042 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 Castator 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 | #139,228 | #144,270 | -3.6% |
| Count | 120 | 117 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castator bearers went from 120 to 117 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 5,042 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #144,270.
FAQ
Castator surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castator?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Castator. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Castator?
Castator ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 117 people with the surname Castator. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Castator.
Has Castator become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castator went from 120 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Castator?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castator, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Castator in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castator appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Castator (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 Castator mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word 'castare', meaning to prune or trim. 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 Castator (0.04 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 are called Castator?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Castator is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.