2000
#10,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Castille
A locational surname referring to someone from Castile, a historical region in central Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,274 Americans carry the last name Castille. That puts it at #10,690 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 104,690 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castille 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
3.3K
1 in 104,690
Census rank
#10,690
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,855 bearers of the surname Castille in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10690th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castille, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Hispanic (14.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castille
Among Census respondents with the surname Castille, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Hispanic (14.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Castille 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 Castille surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.5% · 1,500
- Black or African American30.0% · 856
- Hispanic or Latino14.5% · 414
- Two or more races2.5% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castille
Castille 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
#11,204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,821
+132 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#10,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,855
+34 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,874 | 2,689 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,204 | 2,821 | 0.96 | +132 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #10,690 | 2,855 | 0.96 | +34 bearers (+1.2%) | Up 514 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 Castille 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 | #11,204 | #10,690 | 4.6% |
| Count | 2,821 | 2,855 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.96 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castille bearers went from 2,821 to 2,855 (+1.2% change). The surname moved up 514 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,204 to #10,690.
FAQ
Castille surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castille?
Name Census estimates that about 3,274 living Americans carry the surname Castille. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 104,690 residents.
How common is Castille?
Castille ranks #10,690 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 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 2,855 people with the surname Castille. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,274), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 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 Castille.
Has Castille become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castille went from 2,821 recorded bearers to 2,855. That is an increase of 34 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,204 to #10,690.
What does the Census say about the background of Castille?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castille, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Hispanic (14.5%). 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 Castille in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.5% (1,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castille appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.5%), Black (30.0%), Hispanic (14.5%). 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 Castille (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 Castille mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Castile, a historical region in central Spain. 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 Castille (0.96 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 Castille?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Castille at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.