2000
#9,502
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Delcastillo
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person's origin from or near a castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,737 Americans carry the last name Delcastillo. That puts it at #7,726 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,357 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Delcastillo 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
4.7K
1 in 72,357
Census rank
#7,726
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,131 bearers of the surname Delcastillo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7726th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Delcastillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Delcastillo
The surname DELCASTILLO has its origins in Spain, with records indicating its presence as early as the 12th century. It is a toponymic name derived from the Spanish words "del castillo," which translates to "of the castle" or "from the castle." This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who lived near or were associated with a particular castle or fortified structure.
The earliest known reference to the name DELCASTILLO can be found in a document dated 1162, which mentions a nobleman named Pedro Delcastillo who held land in the region of Castile. This region, known for its many castles and fortified towns, likely served as the source for this surname's origin.
During the Reconquista, a period when Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim territories from Moorish rule, the DELCASTILLO name gained prominence. Records from the 13th century mention a Juan Delcastillo who participated in the siege of Seville in 1248, supporting the forces of King Ferdinand III of Castile.
In the 14th century, the DELCASTILLO name appeared in various chronicles and manuscripts, indicating its widespread use across different regions of Spain. One notable figure was Rodrigo Delcastillo, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in the city of Toledo during the reign of Alfonso XI (1312-1350).
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the Americas, the DELCASTILLO name traveled with explorers and settlers. In the 16th century, a soldier named Diego Delcastillo accompanied Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mexico. Later, in the 17th century, a priest named Fray Pedro Delcastillo established one of the earliest Catholic missions in present-day New Mexico.
Other notable individuals with the DELCASTILLO surname include:
1. Hernando Delcastillo (1540-1607), a Spanish navigator and cartographer known for his explorations in the Pacific Ocean.
2. Catalina Delcastillo (1619-1692), a Spanish nun and mystic who founded a convent in Seville.
3. Juan Delcastillo (1720-1789), a Spanish architect and engineer responsible for designing several churches and bridges in Madrid.
4. Mariano Delcastillo (1832-1907), a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as a senator and governor of Guanajuato.
5. Isabel Delcastillo (1889-1972), a renowned Spanish painter and illustrator known for her depictions of traditional Spanish life.
While the DELCASTILLO name has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by immigrants and descendants of those who bore this historic surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Delcastillo
Among Census respondents with the surname Delcastillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Delcastillo 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 Delcastillo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino75.6% · 3,124
- Asian and Pacific Islander12.5% · 518
- White10.2% · 422
- Two or more races1.1% · 46
- Black or African American0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Delcastillo
Delcastillo 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
#8,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,013
+875 bearers (+27.9%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 1,248 places
2020
#7,726
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,131
+118 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Up 528 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,502 | 3,138 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,254 | 4,013 | 1.36 | +875 bearers (+27.9%) | Up 1,248 places |
| 2020 | #7,726 | 4,131 | 1.38 | +118 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 528 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 Delcastillo 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 | #8,254 | #7,726 | 6.4% |
| Count | 4,013 | 4,131 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.38 | 1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Delcastillo bearers went from 4,013 to 4,131 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 528 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,254 to #7,726.
FAQ
Delcastillo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Delcastillo?
Name Census estimates that about 4,737 living Americans carry the surname Delcastillo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,357 residents.
How common is Delcastillo?
Delcastillo ranks #7,726 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,131 people with the surname Delcastillo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,737), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Delcastillo.
Has Delcastillo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Delcastillo went from 4,013 recorded bearers to 4,131. That is an increase of 118 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,254 to #7,726.
What does the Census say about the background of Delcastillo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Delcastillo, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%) and White (10.2%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Delcastillo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.6% (3,124 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Delcastillo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (75.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5%), White (10.2%). 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 Delcastillo (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 Delcastillo mean?
A Spanish toponymic surname indicating a person's origin from or near a castle. 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 Delcastillo (1.38 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 Americans have the surname Delcastillo?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.