Castro
A widespread surname from Latin for “castle” or “fortified place,” common in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian families.
The #138 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,677 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Castro comes from Latin castrum, meaning “fort” or “military camp,” and by extension “castle” or a fortified place. In Iberian and Italian usage, it often began as a place-name surname for someone who lived near or came from a castle, fort, or settlement so named. The form is especially common in Spanish and Portuguese, and also appears in Italian.
History
The surname became established in medieval Iberia and Italy, often through place-names containing Castro. It spread widely with Spanish and Portuguese expansion, which helped make it common across Latin America and other parts of the world. Historical references also show the related form De Castro used by noble and locative families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Spanish, castro can also refer to an ancient fortified settlement or hillfort, which helps explain why the name appears in many place-names.
From the historical record
“O.S.Fr. -nau, -neau, Lat. nov-um, new] CASTRO (Ital., Span,, Portug.) Castle [Lat. castrum, dat. castro] CAZENOVEUFr.) New House [Fr. case CAZNEAU \ neuve, Lat. casa nova: see under Case in Diet.] CHAMP (Fr.) Field [Fr. Shamp, Lat. camp-US'] CHASTEL \(Fr.) Castle [O.Fr. chastel.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Castro
- Fidel Castro (1926–2016)
- Raúl Castro (b. 1931)
- Xiomara Castro (b. 1959)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.