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

Castilho, 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 Castilho surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castilho in America

Castilho is the 136449th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castilho surname appeared 123 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 Castilho.

The history of the last name Castilho

The surname Castilho originated in Portugal and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Portuguese word "castilho," meaning a small castle or fortified dwelling place. This name likely emerged as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or was associated with a small castle or fortification.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Castilho can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a 14th-century Portuguese genealogical record. It mentions individuals with the surname Castilho who held prominent positions in the Portuguese royal court and military during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The surname Castilho was also found in various historical documents and manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries, particularly in regions like Alentejo and Ribatejo in southern Portugal. Some notable examples include Pedro de Castilho, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer who participated in voyages along the West African coast, and Fernão de Castilho, a 16th-century poet and grammarian who played a significant role in the development of the Portuguese language.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Castilho surname became associated with several noble families in Portugal, such as the Castilhos of Évora and the Castilhos of Santarém. These families held land and titles, and their members served in various capacities within the Portuguese monarchy and government.

One notable figure from this period was António de Castilho (1626-1696), a Portuguese military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of the Algarve region against Spanish and Dutch invasions during the Portuguese Restoration War.

Moving into the 19th century, the Castilho surname gained further prominence with individuals like António Feliciano de Castilho (1800-1875), a renowned Portuguese poet, translator, and scholar who made significant contributions to the romantic literary movement in Portugal.

Other notable individuals with the surname Castilho include José Agostinho de Macedo Castilho (1804-1866), a Portuguese writer and journalist, and Júlio de Castilho (1840-1919), a Portuguese diplomat and historian who served as the Portuguese ambassador to several countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castilho

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

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 Castilho 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.

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 Castilho was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!