2000
#4,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,984
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.96
Rare Last name
Castleberry
A locational surname referring to someone from a fortified town or castle, likely derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,013 Americans carry the last name Castleberry. That puts it at #4,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castleberry 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
9.0K
1 in 38,029
Census rank
#4,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,860 bearers of the surname Castleberry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castleberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castleberry
The surname Castleberry has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "castel" meaning castle and "berry" meaning a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a castle situated on a hill or mound.
During the Middle Ages, many people adopted surnames based on their place of residence or geographic features near their homes. The name Castleberry may have originated in areas where there were prominent castles built on elevated ground, such as in the counties of Shropshire, Herefordshire, or Worcestershire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Castleberry can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a William de Castelbyry is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 15th century, a John Castylbery is recorded in the Yorkshire Deeds from 1468, showcasing another early spelling variation. Similar spellings like Castlebury, Castleberry, and Castleberrie can be found in various historical records throughout the centuries.
Notable individuals bearing the Castleberry surname include:
1. Sir William Castleberry (c. 1520 - 1589), an English military officer who served under Queen Elizabeth I during the Anglo-Spanish War.
2. Elizabeth Castleberry (1675 - 1738), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Oxfordshire, known for her influential writings on religious matters.
3. Thomas Castleberry (1740 - 1812), a British explorer and naturalist who documented numerous plant and animal species during his expeditions to the Americas.
4. James Castleberry (1825 - 1898), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Congressman from Virginia during the latter half of the 19th century.
5. Mary Castleberry (1857 - 1942), a renowned English botanist and author, recognized for her work on the flora of the British Isles.
While the Castleberry name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other English-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castleberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Castleberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Castleberry 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 Castleberry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.6% · 6,022
- Black or African American13.4% · 1,050
- Two or more races4.9% · 383
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 307
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castleberry
Castleberry 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
#4,326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,210
+226 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.78
Rank movement Down 219 places
2020
#4,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,860
-350 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,107 | 7,984 | 2.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,326 | 8,210 | 2.78 | +226 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 219 places |
| 2020 | #4,361 | 7,860 | 2.63 | -350 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 35 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 Castleberry 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 | #4,326 | #4,361 | -0.8% |
| Count | 8,210 | 7,860 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.78 | 2.63 | -5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castleberry bearers went from 8,210 to 7,860 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,326 to #4,361.
FAQ
Castleberry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castleberry?
Name Census estimates that about 9,013 living Americans carry the surname Castleberry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,029 residents.
How common is Castleberry?
Castleberry ranks #4,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,860 people with the surname Castleberry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,013), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Castleberry.
Has Castleberry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castleberry went from 8,210 recorded bearers to 7,860. That is a decrease of 350 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,326 to #4,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Castleberry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castleberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.6%. The next largest groups are Black (13.4%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Castleberry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.6% (6,022 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castleberry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.6%), Black (13.4%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Castleberry (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 Castleberry mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a fortified town or castle, likely derived from a place name. 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 Castleberry (2.63 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 Castleberry?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.