2000
#3,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,732
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.61
Uncommon Last name
Castellano
A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or in a castle, or served as a castellan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,297 Americans carry the last name Castellano. That puts it at #3,290 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,873 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castellano 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 Castellano with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 27,873
Census rank
#3,290
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,724 bearers of the surname Castellano in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3290th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castellano
The surname CASTELLANO is of Italian origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Italian word "castello," which means "castle." This suggests that the original bearers of this surname may have lived near or worked in a castle, or were perhaps involved in the construction or maintenance of castles.
The name is believed to have originated in various regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lombardy, and Lazio, where many castles and fortified towns were located during the medieval period. The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as tax records, property deeds, and legal documents.
One notable historical reference to the surname CASTELLANO can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Longobardo," a collection of documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. While the CASTELLANO surname itself is not mentioned, the text includes references to individuals associated with castles and fortified settlements.
Among the earliest known bearers of the CASTELLANO surname was Pietro Castellano, a wealthy merchant from Genoa who lived in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Guglielmo Castellano, a renowned architect from Florence who was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the city during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the CASTELLANO family played a prominent role in the political and cultural life of Naples. Giovanni Castellano (1450-1522) was a renowned humanist, philosopher, and writer who served as a tutor to the children of the Aragonese royal family.
During the Renaissance period, the CASTELLANO surname was also associated with the arts. Francesco Castellano (1510-1585) was a celebrated painter from Genoa, known for his religious works and portraits. His contemporaries included the sculptor Girolamo Castellano (1528-1604), whose works adorned several churches in Rome.
As the centuries passed, the CASTELLANO surname spread across Italy and eventually to other parts of the world, carried by migrants and immigrants seeking new opportunities. While the surname may have evolved into various spellings and variations over time, its roots can be traced back to the castles and fortified settlements of medieval Italy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castellano
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Castellano 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 Castellano surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.7% · 5,437
- White44.7% · 4,795
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 241
- Two or more races1.5% · 160
- Black or African American0.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castellano
Castellano 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
#3,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,238
+1,506 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 3.81
Rank movement Up 149 places
2020
#3,290
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,724
-514 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.59
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,361 | 9,732 | 3.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,212 | 11,238 | 3.81 | +1,506 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 149 places |
| 2020 | #3,290 | 10,724 | 3.59 | -514 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 78 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 Castellano 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 | #3,212 | #3,290 | -2.4% |
| Count | 11,238 | 10,724 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.81 | 3.59 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castellano bearers went from 11,238 to 10,724 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,212 to #3,290.
FAQ
Castellano surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castellano?
Name Census estimates that about 12,297 living Americans carry the surname Castellano. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,873 residents.
How common is Castellano?
Castellano ranks #3,290 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,724 people with the surname Castellano. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Castellano.
Has Castellano become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castellano went from 11,238 recorded bearers to 10,724. That is a decrease of 514 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,212 to #3,290.
What does the Census say about the background of Castellano?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellano, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.7%. The next largest groups are White (44.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Castellano in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.7% (5,437 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castellano appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (50.7%), White (44.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.2%). 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 Castellano (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 Castellano mean?
A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived near or in a castle, or served as a castellan. 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 Castellano (3.59 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 Castellano?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.