The Castle surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 20,534 people carried this name — #1,744 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,400 people counted. That is up 4% from 19,768 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Castle surname

A surname transferred from the common noun referring to someone who lived in or worked in a castle.

English surname, from the noun castle.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Castle» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the castle’.

An early record he cites: Alan de Castell, London, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Castle, Castell and Cassell.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 163 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Castle was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Oxfordshire: 45 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 222. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Oxfordshire 45
Berkshire 20

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

116 families named Castle, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 687 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 12 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 25
Connecticut 17
Vermont 14
New York 13
Massachusetts 12
South Carolina 9
Maryland 8
Maine 6
North Carolina 5
Rhode Island 3
New Hampshire 2
Virginia 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 233 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Castle in American newspapers,
1896.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Castle
The Anaconda Standard 1896-11-07
Newspaper page from Foster's Daily Democrat carrying the name Castle
Foster's Daily Democrat 1896-11-07
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Castle
The Anaconda Standard 1896-10-21

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 8,247 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Castle in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

35,379 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Castle. The most, 6,266, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.2 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 10,901
South Australia 9,059
Queensland 6,259
Victoria 4,737
Western Australia 2,340
Tasmania 1,490
ACT (Canberra) 420
Northern Territory 75

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Castle.

Who carried it

People named Castle,
with a public archive behind them.

  • George Castle
    George Castle 1635–1673 · physician
  • Deborah Castle d. 1993
  • Charles Castle d. 1885
  • Edmund Castle 1698–1750
  • Frances Boddam 1796–1825
  • William Langford Castle 1800– · naval officer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Castle,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,747 records

1,747 records of the Castle name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 635
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 287
  • Other U.S. records 825
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Edward Castle

    Born 1946; from Santa Ana, California. U.S. Marine Corps, pilot hmh/m/l/a uh-1n qualified; killed in action 1970 in Laos. Buried at Barrancas National Cemetery, Florida.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Verne O. Castle

    Born 1910 in Washington. Enlisted 1945 at Fort Macarthur San Pedro, California; machine shop worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1956, buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Baruet Castle

    Arrived at New York in 1897 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 25; tailor. From Manchester, Russia; bound for Louisville.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,747 records for Castle in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia992 records

992 records of the Castle name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 450
  • Tasmanian Names Index 202
  • Other Australian records 340
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Castle

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Westmoreland, sailing from Sheerness in 1841. Native of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert Castle

    Died 1883 in Glamorgan, Tasmania, aged 68. Will registered in Tasmania in 1883.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Edith Melvina Castle

    Born 1864 in Spring Bay, Tasmania. Married 1894 in Glamorgan, Tasmania, aged 29.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 992 records for Castle in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada87 records

87 records of the Castle name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 51
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 11
  • Other Canadian records 25
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record S'l Castle

    Came to Ontario in 1872 aboard the Lord Clive, landing at Quebec, bound for Woodstock, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Annie Alma Castle

    Buried in 1957 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 51.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Evangeline Castle

    Died 1946 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 87 records for Castle in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom68 records

68 records of the Castle name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 46
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 17
  • Other British records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Castle

    Buried in 1807 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 38.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Kate Child Castle

    Will proved in 1934; of Dolgelley, Merioneth.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record William A. Castle

    Died 1915. Named in the roll of honour (1926).

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 68 records for Castle in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands37 records

37 records of the Castle name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 27
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 10
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ann Castle

    Died 1832 in Veere, aged 59; of private means.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Grace Marie Rose Castle

    In the population register of Londen, England; nun, born 1883 in Londen, England.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Marij Adelaide Castle

    Married in 1820 in Voorburg; born 1799 in Galen.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 37 records for Castle in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand19 records

19 records of the Castle name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Castle

    Died 1945, aged 60; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Wilhelmina Castle

    Died 1915, aged 70; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jack Albert Castle

    Died 1994, aged 77; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 19 records for Castle in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Castle name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Annie Castle

    Born 1907 in the United Kingdom; died 1993 in Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Peter Quisk Henderson Castle

    Born 1930 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Chambéry (Savoie).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Castle in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Castle name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George Walter Castle

    Died 1986, aged 71; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Castle.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Castle is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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