NameCensus.

UK surname

Cast

A surname possibly derived from an occupational term meaning "thrower," referring to a caster or thrower of stones or implements.

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Cast surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 291, ranked #15,062, down from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Barking, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Newark and Sherwood and Nottingham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cast is 338 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.4%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

291

2016, ranked #15,062

Peak year

1911

338 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cast had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016, ranked #15,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 338 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Cast surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cast surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cast surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cast over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 105 #16,618
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 238 #13,202
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 338 #10,521
1997 modern 292 #13,765
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 292 #14,204
2000 modern 290 #14,237
2001 modern 290 #14,033
2002 modern 287 #14,402
2003 modern 287 #14,219
2004 modern 275 #14,717
2005 modern 267 #14,954
2006 modern 263 #15,215
2007 modern 249 #15,943
2008 modern 250 #16,065
2009 modern 262 #15,888
2010 modern 286 #15,231
2011 modern 269 #15,800
2012 modern 274 #15,498
2013 modern 281 #15,487
2014 modern 278 #15,692
2015 modern 279 #15,527
2016 modern 291 #15,062

Geography

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Where Casts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Barking, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Sutton Coldfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea, Newark and Sherwood, Nottingham, South Hams and Harlow. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Barking Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Sutton Coldfield Warwickshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 012 Southend-on-Sea
2 Newark and Sherwood 013 Newark and Sherwood
3 Nottingham 021 Nottingham
4 South Hams 004 South Hams
5 Harlow 007 Harlow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cast

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cast surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cast

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cast, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Cast surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cast household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cast is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cast is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cast falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cast is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cast, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cast

The surname CAST is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'caste', meaning a throw or a cast, and was likely an occupational surname given to someone who worked as a thrower or caster, perhaps someone involved in casting fishing nets or throwing weapons.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CAST can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Ralph le Caste. The surname also appears in various other medieval records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, which lists a John Caste.

The CAST surname may also have been influenced by place names, as it is similar to the village of Caste in Gloucestershire, England. Some early bearers of the name may have hailed from or resided near this location.

Notable individuals bearing the surname CAST throughout history include John Cast (c. 1385-1456), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Another significant figure was Sir Walter Cast (c. 1550-1618), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Richard Cast (1619-1688) was a prominent English merchant and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a new church in his hometown of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Later, in the 19th century, William Cast (1816-1892) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Devonshire Park complex in Eastbourne.

One of the most famous bearers of the CAST surname was the English actor and playwright, Cyril Cast (1891-1971), who had a prolific career on stage and in films. He is particularly remembered for his starring roles in several Shakespearean productions and his portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge in various adaptations of "A Christmas Carol".

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cast families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cast surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Essex leads with 50 Casts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.65x.

County Total Index
Essex 50 16.65x
Middlesex 28 1.84x
Surrey 22 2.97x
Kent 21 4.04x
Yorkshire 12 0.80x
Warwickshire 7 1.82x
Staffordshire 6 1.17x
Lancashire 5 0.28x
Nottinghamshire 4 1.95x
Hampshire 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Ockendon in Essex leads with 10 Casts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1612.90x.

Place Total Index
South Ockendon 10 1612.90x
Ingrave 8 2962.96x
Newington 8 14.23x
Barking 7 79.64x
Acton 6 67.26x
Brightside Bierlow 6 20.28x
Hornchurch 6 408.16x
Romford 6 126.32x
Sutton Coldfield 6 148.88x
Camberwell 5 5.14x
East Wickham 5 806.45x
Fulham London 5 22.66x
Greenwich 5 20.64x
Tamworth 5 181.82x
Deptford St Paul 4 9.99x
Eynsford 4 449.44x
Ham Kingston On Thames 4 1212.12x
Wigan 4 15.85x
Bermondsey 3 6.62x
Bridlington 3 86.96x
Childerditch 3 2500.00x
Moreton 3 1250.00x
Nottingham St Mary 3 5.66x
Shoreditch London 3 4.55x
St Pancras London 3 2.45x
West Thurrock 3 300.00x
Chigwell 2 70.42x
Merton 2 153.85x
Paddington London 2 3.57x
Spitalfields London 2 17.47x
St Marylebone London 2 2.46x
Beeston 1 42.37x
Bow London 1 5.16x
Bromley London 1 2.99x
Cliffe 1 85.47x
Copford 1 285.71x
Denaby 1 117.65x
Edmonton 1 8.16x
Enville 1 250.00x
Everton 1 1.74x
Giggleswick 1 196.08x
Hammersmith London 1 2.67x
Islington London 1 0.68x
Lea Marston 1 625.00x
Lotherton Cum Aberford 1 434.78x
Margate St John Baptist 1 10.52x
Northbourne 1 204.08x
Stansted Mountfitchet 1 131.58x
Whippingham 1 42.37x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cast surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cast surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 13
Charles 8
William 8
George 7
Robert 4
Arthur 3
Henry 3
James 3
Thomas 3
Alfred 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Joseph 2
Joshua 2
Peter 2
Walter 2
Alfede 1
Aurther 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Horatio 1
Josiah 1
Reuben 1
Steven 1
T. 1
Thos. 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Cast surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cast surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Cast surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cast surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016. That gives Cast a modern rank of #15,062.

What does the Cast surname mean?

A surname possibly derived from an occupational term meaning "thrower," referring to a caster or thrower of stones or implements.

What does the Cast map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cast bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.