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

Castner, 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 Castner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Castner in America

Castner is the 15471st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Castner surname appeared 1,893 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 Castner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Castner 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 Castner

The surname Castner is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "kastenære," which means "keeper of the castle." It is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century, primarily in the regions of Bavaria and Austria.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Castner can be found in a document from the Holy Roman Empire, dated around 1285, which mentions a certain "Heinrich Castner" as a castle keeper in the town of Regensburg.

In the 14th century, the name Castner began to appear in various records and manuscripts across different parts of Germany, such as the Heidelberg Manuscript, which documented a "Johannes Castner" in 1348.

The surname Castner is also mentioned in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, where a family by the name of Castner is recorded as having lived in the 15th century. One notable member of this family was Hans Castner, a respected merchant and guild member born in 1462.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent several spelling variations, including Castner, Kastner, Kastener, and Kaestner. One of the earliest instances of the Kastner spelling can be found in a document from 1527, which references a "Friedrich Kastner" from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

In the 17th century, the Castner name gained prominence with the birth of Abraham Castner (1625-1689), a renowned German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious and philosophical topics.

Another notable figure from this time period was Johann Castner (1644-1718), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg.

As the Castner family continued to spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, the name became associated with various professions, including military service, academia, and the arts. Notable examples include:

1. Heinrich Castner (1781-1857), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars.
2. Karl Castner (1825-1892), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Berlin.
3. Johann Castner (1864-1936), a German sculptor known for his intricate wood carvings and religious art.
4. Theodor Castner (1875-1951), a German chemist and inventor who developed the Castner-Kellner process for producing sodium hydroxide.
5. Hans Castner (1908-1997), a German-born American artist renowned for his abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Castner

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

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

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

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