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

DeCastro, 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 DeCastro surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeCastro in America

DeCastro is the 6361st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeCastro surname appeared 5,354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname DeCastro.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeCastro 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 DeCastro

The surname DeCastro originates from Spain and Portugal, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Latin term "castrum," which means "fortified place" or "castle." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with families who lived near or owned castles or fortified towns.

In Spain, the DeCastro surname can be traced back to the 11th century, with references found in historical records from the kingdoms of León and Castile. One of the earliest documented instances of the name appears in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census conducted in the 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile.

The DeCastro family was influential in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Notable figures include Doña Inés de Castro, a Galician noblewoman who became the mistress of King Pedro I of Portugal in the 14th century. Their tragic love story has been celebrated in literature and folklore.

In the 15th century, Fernando de Castro y Andrade, also known as El Conde de Lemos, was a prominent military leader and diplomat who served under the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. He played a crucial role in the conquest of Granada, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain.

Another notable figure is Lope de Castro, a Spanish conquistador born in 1516, who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He later became the governor of Florida and established the first European settlement in the region, the short-lived Santa María del Punta.

In the realm of literature, Guillem de Castro y Bellvis was a 17th-century Spanish playwright renowned for his works, including "Las Mocedades del Cid" and "Las Hazañas del Cid," which dramatized the life of the legendary Castilian hero El Cid Campeador.

As the DeCastro family expanded and migrated, the name spread to other parts of the world, particularly to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. Despite its widespread presence, the surname maintains its connection to its Spanish and Portuguese origins, reflecting the historical significance of castles and fortified settlements in the Iberian Peninsula.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeCastro

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

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

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

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