2000
#89,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 193
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Casta
A surname derived from the Latin word "castus," meaning pure or chaste.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 240 Americans carry the last name Casta. That puts it at #93,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,428,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Casta 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
240
1 in 1,428,143
Census rank
#93,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
209
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 209 bearers of the surname Casta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Casta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Casta
The surname Casta is of Spanish origin, with its roots traced back to the Iberian Peninsula in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "castus," meaning "pure" or "chaste," suggesting a connection to virtuous or morally upright individuals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Casta can be found in the Catalan region of Spain, where it appeared in historical documents from the 13th century. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Barcelona and Valencia, where it was associated with noble families and those of high social standing.
During the 15th century, the Casta surname gained recognition in the historical records of the Kingdom of Aragon. Notable individuals bearing this name include Juan Casta, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in the city of Zaragoza in the late 1400s.
As the Spanish Empire expanded its reach across the Atlantic Ocean, the Casta surname made its way to the Americas. In the 16th century, several individuals with this surname were among the early Spanish settlers in the New World. One such figure was Diego Casta, a conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the 1520s.
The Casta name also has ties to the religious orders of Spain. In the 17th century, a Franciscan friar named Francisco Casta was renowned for his missionary work among the indigenous populations of Mexico and his efforts to preserve their languages and cultural traditions.
During the 19th century, the Casta surname gained prominence in Cuba, where it was associated with influential families involved in the sugar plantation industry. One notable figure was Ramón Casta y Pérez (1801-1872), a wealthy landowner and politician who played a significant role in the island's independence movement.
Other notable individuals with the Casta surname include Alejandro Casta (1834-1899), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Minister of War during the reign of King Alfonso XII, and Margarita Casta (1888-1965), a renowned Catalan painter and sculptor celebrated for her vibrant depictions of traditional Spanish life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Casta
Among Census respondents with the surname Casta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Casta 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 Casta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.2% · 105
- White40.7% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.6% · 18
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Casta
Casta 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
#90,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 204
+11 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 1,323 places
2020
#93,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 209
+5 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 3,468 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #89,172 | 193 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #90,495 | 204 | 0.07 | +11 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 1,323 places |
| 2020 | #93,963 | 209 | 0.07 | +5 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 3,468 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 Casta 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 | #90,495 | #93,963 | -3.8% |
| Count | 204 | 209 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Casta bearers went from 204 to 209 (+2.5% change). The surname moved down 3,468 positions in the national ranking, going from #90,495 to #93,963.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Casta
FAQ
Casta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Casta?
Name Census estimates that about 240 living Americans carry the surname Casta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,428,143 residents.
How common is Casta?
Casta ranks #93,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 209 people with the surname Casta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Casta.
Has Casta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Casta went from 204 recorded bearers to 209. That is an increase of 5 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #90,495 to #93,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Casta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Casta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%). 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 Casta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.2% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Casta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (50.2%), White (40.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (8.6%). 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 Casta (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 Casta mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "castus," meaning pure or chaste. 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 Casta (0.07 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 Casta?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.