NameCensus.

UK surname

Castell

A surname derived from the Latin word "castellum" meaning fortress or castle.

In the 1881 census there were 509 people recorded with the Castell surname, ranking it #6,690 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 655, ranked #8,123, down from #6,690 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St James Clerkenwell and Margate. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St Edmundsbury, South Gloucestershire and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Castell is 698 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.7%.

1881 census count

509

Ranked #6,690

Modern count

655

2016, ranked #8,123

Peak year

2002

698 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Castell had 509 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,690 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016, ranked #8,123.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 624 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Castell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Castell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Castell 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 324 #7,179
1861 historical 333 #7,646
1881 historical 509 #6,690
1891 historical 560 #6,775
1901 historical 547 #7,555
1911 historical 624 #6,636
1997 modern 675 #7,452
1998 modern 689 #7,572
1999 modern 685 #7,639
2000 modern 692 #7,552
2001 modern 688 #7,468
2002 modern 698 #7,530
2003 modern 668 #7,672
2004 modern 674 #7,634
2005 modern 656 #7,716
2006 modern 640 #7,902
2007 modern 646 #7,901
2008 modern 651 #7,908
2009 modern 656 #8,014
2010 modern 681 #7,943
2011 modern 689 #7,782
2012 modern 681 #7,786
2013 modern 666 #8,058
2014 modern 670 #8,060
2015 modern 657 #8,121
2016 modern 655 #8,123

Geography

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Where Castells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St James Clerkenwell, Margate, Lambeth and Yelvertoft. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St Edmundsbury, South Gloucestershire, Mid Suffolk, Torbay and Torridge. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St James Clerkenwell London (Central Districts)
3 Margate Kent
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Yelvertoft Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St Edmundsbury 001 St Edmundsbury
2 South Gloucestershire 024 South Gloucestershire
3 Mid Suffolk 006 Mid Suffolk
4 Torbay 010 Torbay
5 Torridge 006 Torridge

Forenames

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First names often paired with Castell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Castell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Castell, 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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Castell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Castell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Castell 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

Castell is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Castell falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Castell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Castell

The surname Castell is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "castel," meaning "castle." It first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman nobles and soldiers settled in the country and adopted surnames based on their occupations, residences, or physical characteristics.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Castell can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. Several individuals with the surname Castell are listed as landowners or tenants in various counties, suggesting that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century.

One notable figure with the surname Castell was Sir John Castell, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 14th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in 1362 and was known for his involvement in local affairs and governance.

Another prominent bearer of the name was William Castell, a 17th-century English orientalist and linguist. He was born in 1610 in Bedfordshire and is best known for his work on the lexicography of the Arabic language, including his Arabic dictionary "Lexicon Heptaglotton" published in 1669.

In the 18th century, John Castell (1744-1821) was a British Army officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He fought in several major battles, including the Siege of Yorktown, and later became a prominent figure in the Loyalist community in Nova Scotia.

The surname Castell has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Castell Coch near Cardiff, a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle, and Castell Dinas, an Iron Age hill fort in Pembrokeshire, suggesting a possible connection between the name and fortified structures or settlements.

While the surname Castell is not as common as some other English surnames, it has persisted throughout the centuries and can be found in various parts of the world where English settlers and immigrants have established communities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Castell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Castell 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. Middlesex leads with 136 Castells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.70x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 136 2.70x
Surrey 62 2.53x
Berkshire 45 11.91x
Kent 43 2.50x
Northamptonshire 36 7.60x
Oxfordshire 36 11.58x
Yorkshire 22 0.44x
Suffolk 21 3.43x
Aberdeenshire 17 3.65x
Essex 16 1.61x
Warwickshire 14 1.10x
Gloucestershire 9 0.91x
Sussex 9 1.06x
Isle of Man 7 7.49x
Lanarkshire 7 0.43x
Lancashire 6 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 5 2.46x
Derbyshire 5 0.63x
Wiltshire 5 1.12x
Hampshire 4 0.39x
Staffordshire 2 0.12x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.33x
Cheshire 1 0.09x
Durham 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.29x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Monmouthshire 1 0.27x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Northumberland 1 0.13x
Somerset 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Yelvertoft in Northamptonshire leads with 21 Castells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2413.79x.

Place Total Index
Yelvertoft 21 2413.79x
Battersea 20 10.80x
Clerkenwell London 19 15.99x
Islington London 18 3.69x
Hackney London 16 5.67x
Lambeth 16 3.65x
West Ham 16 7.29x
Margate St John Baptist 15 47.69x
St Pancras London 15 3.70x
Wickham Market 13 513.83x
Cookham 12 101.87x
Bromley London 11 9.93x
Islip 11 1057.69x
Oxford St Clement 11 140.31x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 11.47x
Rotherhithe 10 16.08x
Bethnal Green London 8 3.66x
Birmingham 8 1.89x
Duston 8 186.05x
Kensington London 8 2.86x
Bexley 7 46.11x
Glasgow 7 2.42x
Onchan 7 25.99x
Wallingford St Leonard 7 397.73x
Cheltenham 6 7.88x
Holy Trinity 6 5.00x
Onehouse 6 1000.00x
South Hinksey 6 363.64x
Tottenham 6 7.48x
Ardwick 5 9.28x
Auchindoir Kearn 5 190.84x
Bangor 5 25.47x
Bermondsey 5 3.34x
Brighton 5 2.92x
Brightwell 5 471.70x
Daventry 5 74.63x
Fulham London 5 6.85x
Gillingham 5 14.12x
Great Bedwin 5 158.23x
Sandhurst 5 68.31x
Stanton Newhall 5 197.63x
Wilton In Guisbrough 5 224.22x
Bray 4 36.04x
Buckland In Dover 4 70.30x
Dunnington In York 4 312.50x
Newington 4 2.15x
Paddington London 4 2.16x
St Luke London 4 4.95x
Tonbridge 4 6.46x
Woolvercot 4 317.46x
Aston 3 0.86x
Lewisham 3 3.28x
Oxford St Giles 3 20.23x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 13.77x
Aberdeen Old Machar 2 2.05x
Barlby 2 227.27x
Bow London 2 3.12x
Camberwell 2 0.62x
Chatham 2 4.23x
Framlingham 2 45.98x
Friern Barnet 2 18.03x
Hammersmith London 2 1.61x
Hove 2 5.37x
New Windsor 2 15.75x
Oxford St Ebbe 2 21.86x
Oxford St Michael 2 155.04x
Oxford St Peter Le Bailey 2 129.87x
Rudgwick 2 103.09x
Shoreditch London 2 0.92x
Solihull 2 21.91x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 1.97x
St Bartholomew Hyde 2 80.97x
St Paul Covent Garden 2 39.68x
Stow On The Wold 2 91.32x
Walsall Foreign 2 2.28x
Weeke 2 63.90x
Willesden 2 4.22x
Bedwellty 1 1.56x
Middleton St George 1 53.48x
Rugby 1 5.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 24
Elizabeth 16
Emma 11
Annie 10
Charlotte 9
Eliza 8
Alice 7
Ann 7
Emily 7
Jane 7
Kate 6
Margaret 5
Anne 4
Caroline 4
Edith 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Maria 4
Ada 3
Clara 3
Ellen 3
Florence 3
Hannah 3
Jessie 3
Amy 2
Catherine 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lilian 2
Martha 2
Nelly 2
Rosa 2
Annia 1
Catherin 1
Cecilia 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Eveline 1
Hettie 1
Jeanette 1
Jeanne 1
Lillian 1
Lizzetta 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 32
John 27
George 23
Charles 21
James 16
Henry 14
Thomas 12
Alfred 9
Frederick 8
Edward 6
Joseph 6
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Ernest 5
Edwin 4
Daniel 3
Robert 3
Walter 3
Edmund 2
Harry 2
Horace 2
Amos 1
Anthony 1
Castell 1
Christopher 1
Cornelius 1
Damant 1
E. 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
H. 1
Herbert 1
Jonathon 1
Lewis 1
Mathias 1
Matthew 1
Owen 1
Reuben 1
Richard 1
Rutso 1
Samuel 1
Slym. 1
Stanhope 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Castell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Castell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 509 people were recorded with the Castell surname. That placed it at #6,690 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Castell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 655 in 2016. That gives Castell a modern rank of #8,123.

What does the Castell surname mean?

A surname derived from the Latin word "castellum" meaning fortress or castle.

What does the Castell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Castell 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.