2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Castonia
A place name derived from the Spanish word "castaño" meaning chestnut.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Castonia. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castonia 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Castonia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castonia
The surname Castonia originated in Italy during the medieval period, tracing its roots to the Latin word "castanea," which means chestnut. The name likely referred to individuals who lived near chestnut trees or were involved in the cultivation or trade of chestnuts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Castonia can be found in a 13th-century Venetian document, where it was spelled "Castonea." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.
During the Renaissance period, the Castonia family gained prominence in the region of Tuscany. Notable members included Giulio Castonia (1512-1589), a renowned architect who designed several churches and palaces in Florence.
In the 17th century, the Castonia family expanded their influence to other parts of Italy. Marco Castonia (1634-1712), a merchant from Genoa, is recorded as having established trade routes with the Ottoman Empire, importing spices and textiles.
The name Castonia is also associated with the town of Castonia, located in the province of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy. It is believed that some members of the family may have originated from this region before spreading to other parts of the country.
In the 19th century, the Castonia surname gained recognition beyond Italy's borders. Giuseppe Castonia (1807-1876), an Italian composer and conductor, spent several years working in Vienna, where he composed operas and symphonies that were widely acclaimed.
Another notable figure was Lucrezia Castonia (1845-1927), a feminist activist and writer who advocated for women's rights and education in Italy. Her influential work "La Donna Italiana" (The Italian Woman) was published in 1879.
Throughout its history, the Castonia surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, politicians, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Italy, the name has since spread across the globe, with descendants of the Castonia family residing in different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castonia
Among Census respondents with the surname Castonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Castonia 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 Castonia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 8
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castonia
Castonia 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-11 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,997 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 16,997 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 6,184 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 Castonia 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 | #137,327 | #143,511 | -4.5% |
| Count | 122 | 118 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castonia bearers went from 122 to 118 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 6,184 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #143,511.
FAQ
Castonia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castonia?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Castonia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Castonia?
Castonia ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Castonia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Castonia.
Has Castonia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castonia went from 122 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Castonia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castonia, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Castonia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castonia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (6.8%). 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 Castonia (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 Castonia mean?
A place name derived from the Spanish word "castaño" meaning chestnut. 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 Castonia (0.04 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 Castonia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.