2000
#16,219
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,638
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.61
Rare Last name
Castilla
A locational surname referring to someone from the Castile region of central Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,666 Americans carry the last name Castilla. That puts it at #12,680 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,565 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castilla 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
2.7K
1 in 128,565
Census rank
#12,680
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,325 bearers of the surname Castilla in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12680th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castilla
The surname Castilla originates from the Spanish region of Castile, which was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. The name is derived from the Latin word "castellum," meaning "castle" or "fortified place." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived near or worked in castles or fortified areas.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Castilla can be traced back to the 12th century, during the height of the Reconquista, the lengthy period of conflict between Christian and Moorish forces in the Iberian Peninsula. It is likely that the name was first adopted by individuals or families who played a role in the defense or administration of the various castles and fortified towns that dotted the landscape of medieval Castile.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Castilla was Rodrigo Jiménez de Castilla, a Spanish knight and military leader who fought alongside King Ferdinand III during the conquest of Córdoba in 1236. Another prominent individual was Garci Fernández de Castilla, a nobleman and military commander who participated in the conquest of Seville in 1248.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Castilla surname gained further prominence as members of this family rose to positions of power and influence within the kingdoms of Castile and León. One notable example is Álvaro de Castilla, a 15th-century Spanish nobleman who served as a trusted advisor to King Juan II of Castile.
In the 16th century, the name Castilla was closely associated with the Spanish conquest and colonization of the Americas. Pedro de Castilla, a Spanish conquistador, accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expeditions to Mexico and played a significant role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 1520s.
Another historical figure bearing the Castilla surname was Juan de Castilla, a 16th-century Spanish explorer and navigator who participated in several expeditions to the Americas and the Philippines. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to set foot on the island of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.
As the Spanish Empire expanded across the globe, the Castilla surname traveled with it, establishing a presence in various regions and leaving an indelible mark on the history and culture of many nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castilla
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Castilla 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 Castilla surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino87.6% · 2,037
- White8.5% · 197
- Black or African American1.8% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 42
- Two or more races0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castilla
Castilla 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
#14,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,071
+433 bearers (+26.4%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 1,792 places
2020
#12,680
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,325
+254 bearers (+12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 1,747 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,219 | 1,638 | 0.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,427 | 2,071 | 0.70 | +433 bearers (+26.4%) | Up 1,792 places |
| 2020 | #12,680 | 2,325 | 0.78 | +254 bearers (+12.3%) | Up 1,747 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 Castilla 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 | #14,427 | #12,680 | 12.1% |
| Count | 2,071 | 2,325 | 12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.78 | 11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castilla bearers went from 2,071 to 2,325 (+12.3% change). The surname moved up 1,747 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,427 to #12,680.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Castilla
FAQ
Castilla surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castilla?
Name Census estimates that about 2,666 living Americans carry the surname Castilla. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,565 residents.
How common is Castilla?
Castilla ranks #12,680 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,325 people with the surname Castilla. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Castilla.
Has Castilla become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castilla went from 2,071 recorded bearers to 2,325. That is an increase of 254 (+12.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,427 to #12,680.
What does the Census say about the background of Castilla?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castilla, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 87.6%. The next largest groups are White (8.5%) and Black (1.8%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Castilla in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (2,037 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castilla appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (87.6%), White (8.5%), Black (1.8%). 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 Castilla (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 Castilla mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the Castile region of central Spain. 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 Castilla (0.78 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 common is the surname Castilla?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Castilla, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.