Find out how popular the last name Castells is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Castells.

Castells, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Castells surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castells in America

Castells is the 108199th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castells surname appeared 164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Castells.

We can also compare 2010 data for Castells to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Castells

The surname Castells originated in Catalonia, a region located in northeastern Spain and southeastern France, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Catalan word "castell," which means "castle" or "fortified building." This suggests that the name may have been related to the occupation or ownership of a castle or defensive structure.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Castells can be traced back to the 12th century, when it appeared in various documents and records from the region. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Llibre Verd," a cartulary or collection of documents from the Cathedral of Girona, dated around 1145.

In the 13th century, the name Castells was also found in the "Libre de Repartiment," a document detailing the distribution of lands and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after its conquest by the Crown of Aragon in 1238. This indicates that individuals bearing the name Castells may have been involved in the settlement or administration of the newly conquered territories.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have carried the surname Castells. One of the earliest was Bernat de Castells, a Catalan nobleman who lived in the 13th century and held the title of "Senyor de Castells" (Lord of Castells). Another prominent figure was Jaume Castells, a Catalan soldier and diplomat who served King Peter IV of Aragon in the 14th century.

In the 15th century, Joan Castells was a renowned Catalan physician and author, known for his medical treatise titled "Tractatus de Causis Pestilentiae" (Treatise on the Causes of Plague). Around the same time, Pere Castells was a Catalan painter and sculptor who contributed to the artistic heritage of the region.

Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, Josep Antoni Castells i Casanovas (1818-1890) was a Catalan architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings and urban projects in Barcelona, including the iconic Eixample district.

It is worth noting that the surname Castells has also been adopted by individuals and families in other regions, particularly in Latin America, due to the Spanish colonial expansion. However, its origins can be traced back to the Catalan region of Spain and its historical connections to castles and fortified structures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castells

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Castells.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Castells was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Castells has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Castells was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Castells, please contact us.

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