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

Castille, 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 Castille surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castille in America

Castille is the 11204th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castille surname appeared 2,821 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Castille.

We can also compare 2010 data for Castille 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 Castille

The surname Castille is derived from the name of the region of Castile in Spain, which itself comes from the Latin word "castellum" meaning "castle". The name first emerged in the 9th century as a territorial designation for the area around Burgos, which was an important frontier region known for its many castles and fortresses.

The earliest recorded examples of the surname can be found in medieval Spanish records and documents from the 10th and 11th centuries, often spelled Castilla or similar variations. One notable early bearer was Fernan Gonzalez, Count of Castile, who lived from around 910-970 AD and was a key figure in the struggle against the Moors and the expansion of Christian rule in the region.

As Castile grew in power and influence during the Middle Ages, the surname Castille became more widespread, particularly among noble and aristocratic families with ties to the region. It is mentioned in various chronicles and records from the time, including the Crónica General de España written in the 13th century.

The name also appears in English records from the late medieval period, as there was a significant influx of Spanish immigrants and traders to England during this time. One of the earliest known English bearers was Juan Castille, a merchant from Seville who was granted letters of protection in 1486 by King Henry VII.

Other notable historical figures with the surname include Bernal Diaz del Castillo (1492-1584), a Spanish conquistador and author who chronicled the conquest of Mexico, and Hernando de Castillo (1561-1632), a Spanish Renaissance painter known for his religious works.

In France, the name was sometimes rendered as Castille or Castillon, and was associated with families from the Iberian Peninsula who settled in the country. One such figure was Jean de Castille (1470-1544), a French nobleman and military leader who served as Governor of Burgundy.

The surname Castille has also been found in Italy, Portugal, and other European countries, reflecting the spread of Spanish influence and migration during the Renaissance and early modern periods. It has been borne by notable individuals like the Italian painter Giovanni Battista Castillo (1639-1718) and the Portuguese explorer João Castilho (1470-1501), who was one of the first Europeans to reach the coast of Brazil.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castille

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

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

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

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