2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Castracane
An Italian surname derived from the old occupation of castle guard or castellan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Castracane. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castracane 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Castracane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castracane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castracane
The surname Castracane originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian words "castra" meaning "camp" and "cane" meaning "dog," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a military encampment or guarded the camp's dogs.
Historical records indicate that the Castracane family was prominent in the region of Emilia-Romagna, particularly in the city of Bologna. The name appears in several documents dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries, including records of land ownership and tax rolls.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Castracane surname was Guido Castracane, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Bologna in the late 13th century. He was involved in the city's silk trade and played a significant role in local politics.
In the 15th century, the Castracane family produced several notable figures, including Francesco Castracane (1476-1544), a renowned physician and professor at the University of Bologna. His son, Giacomo Castracane (1510-1578), was a respected lawyer and diplomat who served as a magistrate in Bologna.
Another prominent member of the family was Antonio Castracane (1639-1721), a Baroque painter who was active in the cities of Bologna and Rome. His works can be found in several churches and galleries throughout Italy.
During the Renaissance period, the Castracane family also had connections to the noble Farnese family, who ruled the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. One of the Farnese dukes, Alessandro Farnese (1520-1592), employed a Castracane as a trusted advisor and diplomat.
In the 19th century, Count Enrico Castracane (1815-1891) was a prominent scientist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of diatoms, a type of microscopic algae. He was a member of several scientific academies and authored numerous publications on his research.
While the Castracane surname is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of Italy's rich cultural heritage, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period and its association with notable figures throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castracane
Among Census respondents with the surname Castracane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Castracane 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 Castracane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 108
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castracane
Castracane 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
+14 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,461 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 4,461 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Castracane 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 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castracane bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Castracane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castracane?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Castracane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Castracane?
Castracane ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Castracane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Castracane.
Has Castracane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castracane went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Castracane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castracane, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Castracane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castracane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Castracane (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 Castracane mean?
An Italian surname derived from the old occupation of castle guard or castellan. 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 Castracane (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 last name Castracane?
Want to know how many people are called Castracane? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.