2000
#1,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,768
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.33
Uncommon Last name
Castle
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a castle or worked in one.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,362 Americans carry the last name Castle. That puts it at #1,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.52 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,328 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Castle 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Castle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,328
Census rank
#1,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,501 bearers of the surname Castle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.52 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Castle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Castle
The surname Castle originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "castel," which means a fortified place or a castle. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a castle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Castle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the name Castle or similar spellings, such as Castella or Castelane.
During the Middle Ages, the Castle surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Worcestershire in the West Midlands region of England. The name was also found in other parts of the country, including Yorkshire and Northamptonshire.
The surname Castle has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Castell, Castelle, and Castelle. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the Norman-French spelling "chastel," which also meant a castle or fortified place.
One notable bearer of the Castle surname was Sir John Castle (c. 1370-1420), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Henry IV. Another individual of historical significance was William Castle (1609-1644), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who participated in the Westminster Assembly.
In the 16th century, the Castle surname was associated with the town of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, which derived its name from the presence of an ancient castle. A prominent resident of Castle Combe was Sir John Castle (1548-1618), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament.
Other notable individuals with the Castle surname include Sir Robert Castle (1460-1537), an English politician and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1523, and John Castle (1667-1728), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer.
While the surname Castle has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and various other English-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Castle
Among Census respondents with the surname Castle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Castle 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 Castle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 16,545
- Black or African American6.1% · 1,199
- Two or more races3.9% · 764
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 759
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 140
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 94
Timeline
Historical Census data for Castle
Castle 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
#1,744
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,534
+766 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 6.96
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#1,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,501
-1,033 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 6.52
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,661 | 19,768 | 7.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,744 | 20,534 | 6.96 | +766 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #1,801 | 19,501 | 6.52 | -1,033 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 57 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 Castle 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 | #1,744 | #1,801 | -3.3% |
| Count | 20,534 | 19,501 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 6.96 | 6.52 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Castle bearers went from 20,534 to 19,501 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,744 to #1,801.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Castle
FAQ
Castle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Castle?
Name Census estimates that about 22,362 living Americans carry the surname Castle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,328 residents.
How common is Castle?
Castle ranks #1,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.52 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,501 people with the surname Castle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,362), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.52 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.52 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Castle.
Has Castle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Castle went from 20,534 recorded bearers to 19,501. That is a decrease of 1,033 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,744 to #1,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Castle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Castle, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Castle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (16,545 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Castle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Castle (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 Castle mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a castle or worked in one. 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 Castle (6.52 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 share the surname Castle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.