2000
#9,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Castello
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in or near a castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,603 Americans carry the last name Castello. That puts it at #9,830 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,130 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castello 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 Castello with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.6K
1 in 95,130
Census rank
#9,830
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,142 bearers of the surname Castello in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9830th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castello, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.2%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castello
The surname Castello is of Italian origin, deriving from the Latin word "castellum," meaning a castle or fortified town. It is thought to have originated in the early Middle Ages, likely between the 9th and 11th centuries, when many families took on surnames based on their occupations, places of residence, or other distinguishing features.
The earliest recorded instances of the Castello surname can be found in various Italian regions, such as Tuscany, Lombardy, and Sicily. It was often associated with families who lived in or near castles or fortified settlements, or those who held positions related to the defense or administration of such structures.
One notable historical reference to the Castello name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of documents from the Benedictine monastery of Cava dei Tirreni in southern Italy, dating back to the 9th century. This manuscript includes mentions of individuals with the surname Castello, suggesting that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Galeazzo Castello (c. 1220-1275) was a nobleman and military leader from the city of Milan. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, supporting the Ghibelline faction.
Another notable individual was Niccolò Castello (c. 1425-1500), a Venetian navigator and explorer who is credited with discovering the islands of Cape Verde in 1456. He is also believed to have been the first European to reach the Rio de Oro region of present-day Western Sahara.
During the Renaissance, the Castello family of Genoa produced several influential members, including Battista Castello (1505-1576), a renowned architect and engineer who worked on various fortifications and military structures throughout Italy.
In the 16th century, Giovanni Battista Castello (1509-1569) was a prominent Italian mathematician and engineer from Genoa. He made significant contributions to the field of mechanics and is known for his work on the principles of statics and dynamics.
The Castello surname can also be found in various place names throughout Italy, such as Castello d'Argile in Emilia-Romagna, Castello di Godego in Veneto, and Castello di Lecce in Apulia, further reinforcing its connection to fortified settlements and defensive structures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castello
Among Census respondents with the surname Castello, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.2%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Castello 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 Castello surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.2% · 1,702
- Hispanic or Latino37.2% · 1,168
- Black or African American4.0% · 125
- Two or more races2.3% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castello
Castello 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
#9,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
+207 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 197 places
2020
#9,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,142
-205 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,495 | 3,140 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,692 | 3,347 | 1.13 | +207 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 197 places |
| 2020 | #9,830 | 3,142 | 1.05 | -205 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 138 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 Castello 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 | #9,692 | #9,830 | -1.4% |
| Count | 3,347 | 3,142 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.05 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castello bearers went from 3,347 to 3,142 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 138 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,692 to #9,830.
FAQ
Castello surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castello?
Name Census estimates that about 3,603 living Americans carry the surname Castello. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,130 residents.
How common is Castello?
Castello ranks #9,830 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.05 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 3,142 people with the surname Castello. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,603), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.05 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 Castello.
Has Castello become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castello went from 3,347 recorded bearers to 3,142. That is a decrease of 205 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,692 to #9,830.
What does the Census say about the background of Castello?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castello, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (37.2%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Castello in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.2% (1,702 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castello appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.2%), Hispanic (37.2%), Black (4.0%). 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 Castello (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 Castello mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in or near 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 Castello (1.05 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 Castello?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Castello at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.