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

Castle, 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 Castle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castle in America

Castle is the 1744th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castle surname appeared 20,534 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Castle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Castle 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 Castle

The surname Castle originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "castel," which means a fortified place or a castle. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a castle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Castle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the name Castle or similar spellings, such as Castella or Castelane.

During the Middle Ages, the Castle surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. The name was also found in other parts of the country, including Yorkshire and Northamptonshire.

The surname Castle has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Castell, Castelle, and Castelle. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Norman-French spelling "chastel," which also meant a castle or fortified place.

One notable bearer of the Castle surname was Sir John Castle (c. 1370-1420), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry IV. Another individual of historical significance was William Castle (1609-1644), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who participated in the Westminster Assembly.

In the 16th century, the Castle surname was associated with the town of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, which derived its name from the presence of an ancient castle. A prominent resident of Castle Combe was Sir John Castle (1548-1618), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament.

Other notable individuals with the Castle surname include Sir Robert Castle (1460-1537), an English politician and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1523, and John Castle (1667-1728), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer.

While the surname Castle has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and various other English-speaking countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castle

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

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

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

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