2000
#1,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,985
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.78
Uncommon Last name
Castellanos
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Castellanos, meaning "castle" or "fortification".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 35,792 Americans carry the last name Castellanos. That puts it at #1,106 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.44 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,576 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castellanos 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
36K
1 in 9,576
Census rank
#1,106
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
31K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 31,212 bearers of the surname Castellanos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.44 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1106th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Black (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castellanos
The surname Castellanos originates from Spain, where it first appeared during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "castellano," which means "belonging to a castle" or "from a castle." This suggests that the name was likely given to individuals who lived or worked in or near a castle, or who were involved in the construction or maintenance of castles.
The name Castellanos is closely related to the Spanish word "castillo," meaning "castle." It is possible that some early bearers of this surname were employed as castellans, who were responsible for overseeing and defending a particular castle or fortress.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Castellanos surname can be found in the Repartimiento de Sevilla, a historic document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and property in Seville, Spain, after the city was conquered by King Ferdinand III in 1248. In this document, several individuals with the surname Castellanos are mentioned as recipients of land grants.
During the Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries, many Spanish explorers and settlers with the surname Castellanos played a role in the colonization of the Americas. One notable example is Juan de Castellanos (c. 1522-1607), a Spanish poet and chronicler who wrote extensively about the conquest of the West Indies and the Spanish colonization of Colombia and Venezuela.
Another prominent figure with the Castellanos surname was Alonso de Castellanos (c. 1518-1593), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Guatemala and served as the governor of the province of Soconusco in present-day Mexico.
In the realm of literature, Juan de Castellanos Villalroel (1610-1685) was a Spanish poet and dramatist known for his works in the Baroque style, including plays and religious poetry.
Moving to more modern times, Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974) was a celebrated Mexican poet, novelist, and diplomat, renowned for her works exploring the struggles and experiences of indigenous women in Mexico.
Throughout history, the Castellanos surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Castellanos de Moriscos in Spain, and Castellanos de Villiquera, a municipality in the province of Salamanca, Spain.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castellanos
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Black (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Castellanos 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 Castellanos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.3% · 29,422
- White4.5% · 1,408
- Black or African American0.4% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 111
- Two or more races0.3% · 88
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castellanos
Castellanos 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
#1,138
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,859
+9,874 bearers (+47.1%)
Per 100,000 10.46
Rank movement Up 430 places
2020
#1,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,212
+353 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 10.44
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,568 | 20,985 | 7.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,138 | 30,859 | 10.46 | +9,874 bearers (+47.1%) | Up 430 places |
| 2020 | #1,106 | 31,212 | 10.44 | +353 bearers (+1.1%) | Up 32 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 Castellanos 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 | #1,138 | #1,106 | 2.8% |
| Count | 30,859 | 31,212 | 1.1% |
| Per 100K | 10.46 | 10.44 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castellanos bearers went from 30,859 to 31,212 (+1.1% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,138 to #1,106.
FAQ
Castellanos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castellanos?
Name Census estimates that about 35,792 living Americans carry the surname Castellanos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,576 residents.
How common is Castellanos?
Castellanos ranks #1,106 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.44 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 31,212 people with the surname Castellanos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (35,792), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.44 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.44 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Castellanos.
Has Castellanos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castellanos went from 30,859 recorded bearers to 31,212. That is an increase of 353 (+1.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #1,138 to #1,106.
What does the Census say about the background of Castellanos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castellanos, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.3%. The next largest groups are White (4.5%) and Black (0.4%). 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 Castellanos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (29,422 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castellanos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.3%), White (4.5%), Black (0.4%). 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 Castellanos (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 Castellanos mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of various places named Castellanos, meaning "castle" or "fortification". 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 Castellanos (10.44 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 Castellanos?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Castellanos on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.