2000
#11,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,519
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Castilleja
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Castilleja in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,473 Americans carry the last name Castilleja. That puts it at #10,142 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castilleja 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
3.5K
1 in 98,691
Census rank
#10,142
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,029 bearers of the surname Castilleja in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10142nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilleja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castilleja
The surname Castilleja has its origins in Spain, specifically in the regions of Castilla and León, dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "castillo," meaning castle or fortified structure, and likely referred to someone who lived near or was associated with a particular castle or fortified area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Castilleja surname can be found in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census of landowners and their properties, compiled in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile. This document mentions individuals bearing the surname Castilleja in various villages and towns across Castilla and León.
In the 15th century, the Castilleja surname appears in historical records related to the Spanish Reconquista, the centuries-long struggle to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule. Several individuals with the Castilleja surname are mentioned as soldiers or military commanders who participated in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain.
One notable figure from this era was Rodrigo de Castilleja, a military commander who fought alongside the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, in the final stages of the Reconquista. He was born in the late 15th century and played a crucial role in the siege and capture of Granada in 1492.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Castilleja surname spread throughout the Spanish Empire, as individuals bearing this name accompanied the conquistadors and settlers to the Americas and other territories. In the Spanish colonial records of the time, we find references to individuals such as Juan de Castilleja, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Pedro de Castilleja, a Spanish explorer and navigator who was among the first Europeans to set foot in the region now known as California. He was part of the expedition led by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542, which explored the Pacific coast of present-day California.
In the realm of literature, one notable individual with the Castilleja surname was Cristóbal de Castilleja, a Spanish poet and writer who lived in the 16th century. He is considered one of the most important poets of the Spanish Renaissance and is best known for his works exploring themes of courtly love and chivalry.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Castilleja surname who have left their mark on history, but there are many more whose stories and contributions have shaped the cultural and historical heritage of Spain and its former colonies across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castilleja
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilleja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Castilleja 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 Castilleja surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino91.6% · 2,774
- White6.8% · 206
- Black or African American0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
- Two or more races0.3% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castilleja
Castilleja 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
#10,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
+664 bearers (+26.4%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 1,344 places
2020
#10,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,029
-154 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,469 | 2,519 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,125 | 3,183 | 1.08 | +664 bearers (+26.4%) | Up 1,344 places |
| 2020 | #10,142 | 3,029 | 1.01 | -154 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 17 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 Castilleja 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 | #10,125 | #10,142 | -0.2% |
| Count | 3,183 | 3,029 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 1.01 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castilleja bearers went from 3,183 to 3,029 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,125 to #10,142.
FAQ
Castilleja surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castilleja?
Name Census estimates that about 3,473 living Americans carry the surname Castilleja. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,691 residents.
How common is Castilleja?
Castilleja ranks #10,142 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,029 people with the surname Castilleja. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Castilleja.
Has Castilleja become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castilleja went from 3,183 recorded bearers to 3,029. That is a decrease of 154 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,125 to #10,142.
What does the Census say about the background of Castilleja?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilleja, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 91.6%. The next largest groups are White (6.8%) and Black (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Castilleja in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,774 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castilleja appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (91.6%), White (6.8%), Black (0.6%). 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 Castilleja (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 Castilleja mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Castilleja in 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 Castilleja (1.01 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 surname Castilleja?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.