2000
#13,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,075
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Castelan
A surname of French origin referring to a person who lived near or worked at a castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,830 Americans carry the last name Castelan. That puts it at #9,350 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,492 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castelan 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
3.8K
1 in 89,492
Census rank
#9,350
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,340 bearers of the surname Castelan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9350th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castelan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castelan
The surname CASTELAN has its origins in Spain, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Latin word "castellanus," which means "of the castle" or "pertaining to a castle." This suggests that the original bearers of the name were likely castle-dwellers, castellans, or individuals associated with castles or fortified structures.
In medieval Spain, the CASTELAN surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands. These areas were known for their numerous castles and fortifications, as they were vital defensive structures during the Reconquista – the centuries-long struggle between Christian and Moorish forces for control of the Iberian Peninsula.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CASTELAN name can be found in the 13th-century Llibre dels Fets, a chronicle of the life and deeds of King James I of Aragon. This historical text mentions a certain Guillem de Castelan, who served as a loyal knight and advisor to the king during the conquest of Valencia in the early 1200s.
Another notable figure bearing the CASTELAN surname was Ramon de Castelan, a 14th-century Catalan nobleman and military commander. He played a crucial role in the defense of the city of Barcelona against the forces of King Pedro IV of Aragon during the War of the Two Peters in the 1360s.
In the 15th century, a branch of the CASTELAN family settled in the region of Mallorca, one of the Balearic Islands. Here, they established themselves as prominent landowners and civic leaders. One of the most notable members of this branch was Joan Baptista Castelan (1517-1593), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of Mallorca.
As the CASTELAN name spread across Spain and its territories, it underwent various spelling variations, including Castellan, Castellano, and Castellanos. These variations reflect the regional linguistic differences and dialects found throughout the Iberian Peninsula.
Another distinguished bearer of the CASTELAN surname was Diego Castelan y Roca (1738-1821), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the governor of several Spanish territories in the Americas, including Louisiana and Puerto Rico, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Throughout its long history, the CASTELAN surname has been associated with nobility, military service, and scholarly pursuits. Its enduring presence in Spain and its former colonies serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and legacy of this distinguished family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castelan
Among Census respondents with the surname Castelan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Castelan 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 Castelan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.1% · 3,211
- White3.4% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 9
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
- Two or more races0.1% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castelan
Castelan 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
#9,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,611
+1,536 bearers (+74.0%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Up 4,411 places
2020
#9,350
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,340
-271 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 302 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,459 | 2,075 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,048 | 3,611 | 1.22 | +1,536 bearers (+74.0%) | Up 4,411 places |
| 2020 | #9,350 | 3,340 | 1.12 | -271 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 302 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 Castelan 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 | #9,048 | #9,350 | -3.3% |
| Count | 3,611 | 3,340 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.12 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castelan bearers went from 3,611 to 3,340 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 302 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,048 to #9,350.
FAQ
Castelan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castelan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,830 living Americans carry the surname Castelan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,492 residents.
How common is Castelan?
Castelan ranks #9,350 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,340 people with the surname Castelan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,830), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Castelan.
Has Castelan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castelan went from 3,611 recorded bearers to 3,340. That is a decrease of 271 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,048 to #9,350.
What does the Census say about the background of Castelan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castelan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.1%. The next largest groups are White (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Castelan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (3,211 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castelan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.1%), White (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.3%). 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 Castelan (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 Castelan mean?
A surname of French origin referring to a person who lived near or worked at a castle. 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 Castelan (1.12 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 last name Castelan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Castelan is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.