NameCensus.

UK surname

Castle

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a castle or worked in one.

In the 1881 census there were 5,940 people recorded with the Castle surname, ranking it #748 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,784, ranked #994, down from #748 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Kirkheaton and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, East Hertfordshire and Winchester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Castle is 7,895 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.2%.

1881 census count

5,940

Ranked #748

Modern count

6,784

2016, ranked #994

Peak year

1911

7,895 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Castle had 5,940 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #748 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,784 in 2016, ranked #994.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,895 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Castle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Castle surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Castle 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 4,355 #649
1861 historical 4,544 #622
1881 historical 5,940 #748
1891 historical 6,377 #726
1901 historical 7,237 #759
1911 historical 7,895 #647
1997 modern 7,071 #917
1998 modern 7,404 #915
1999 modern 7,422 #920
2000 modern 7,285 #930
2001 modern 7,099 #931
2002 modern 7,173 #940
2003 modern 6,936 #948
2004 modern 6,927 #953
2005 modern 6,762 #963
2006 modern 6,720 #973
2007 modern 6,740 #977
2008 modern 6,766 #979
2009 modern 6,874 #990
2010 modern 7,016 #989
2011 modern 6,926 #984
2012 modern 6,788 #983
2013 modern 6,918 #985
2014 modern 6,940 #984
2015 modern 6,846 #989
2016 modern 6,784 #994

Geography

Back to top

Where Castles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Kirkheaton, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, East Hertfordshire, Winchester and Kirklees. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 001 Dover
2 East Hertfordshire 012 East Hertfordshire
3 Winchester 013 Winchester
4 Dover 002 Dover
5 Kirklees 059 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Castle

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Castle

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Castle, 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 Castle surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Castle 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Castle is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Castle 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

Castle falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Castle 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 Castle, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Castle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Castle 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. Kent leads with 1,136 Castles recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.74x.

County Total Index
Kent 1,136 5.74x
Middlesex 887 1.53x
Yorkshire 639 1.11x
Surrey 480 1.70x
Oxfordshire 394 10.99x
Warwickshire 255 1.74x
Hertfordshire 221 5.52x
Lancashire 186 0.27x
Berkshire 170 3.90x
Hampshire 142 1.19x
Buckinghamshire 138 3.93x
Gloucestershire 122 1.07x
Somerset 92 0.98x
Cheshire 90 0.70x
Nottinghamshire 89 1.14x
Lincolnshire 88 0.95x
Essex 77 0.67x
Staffordshire 68 0.35x
Aberdeenshire 66 1.23x
Devon 62 0.51x
Sussex 55 0.56x
Worcestershire 50 0.66x
Northamptonshire 45 0.82x
Leicestershire 43 0.67x
Durham 42 0.24x
Bedfordshire 41 1.36x
Wiltshire 35 0.68x
Derbyshire 31 0.34x
Glamorgan 23 0.23x
Suffolk 23 0.33x
Cumberland 19 0.38x
Huntingdonshire 19 1.65x
Norfolk 17 0.19x
Midlothian 16 0.21x
Dorset 12 0.32x
Monmouthshire 12 0.29x
Northumberland 10 0.12x
Angus 9 0.17x
Anglesey 8 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 7 0.19x
Cornwall 5 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 5 0.27x
Royal Navy 4 0.58x
Channel Islands 3 0.17x
Denbighshire 2 0.09x
Fife 2 0.06x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.15x
Shropshire 2 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.09x
East Lothian 1 0.13x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Rutland 1 0.23x
West Lothian 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 104 Castles recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.06x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 104 2.06x
Kensington London 87 2.70x
Islington London 86 1.53x
Bethnal Green London 71 2.82x
St Pancras London 69 1.48x
Birmingham 68 1.39x
Greenwich 60 6.49x
Hackney London 59 1.81x
Camberwell 54 1.46x
Battersea 52 2.44x
Folkestone 52 13.54x
Hammersmith London 50 3.50x
Newington 45 2.10x
Wandsworth 45 8.06x
Aston 44 1.09x
Mile End Old Town London 41 3.32x
St Peters 39 42.58x
Ash Next Sandwich 38 86.76x
Dukinfield 38 6.42x
Wooldale 37 37.93x
Westminster St John 36 5.09x
Ramsgate 35 10.83x
Ware 35 30.53x
Paddington London 34 1.59x
Portsea 34 1.46x
Basingstoke 33 24.12x
Stotfold 33 57.36x
Charlton 30 22.81x
Lepton 30 49.94x
Lewisham 30 2.84x
St George Hanover Square 30 2.93x
Oxford St Thomas 29 17.34x
Ashton Under Lyne 28 1.86x
Dalton In Huddersfield 28 21.74x
Margate St John Baptist 27 7.45x
Wycombe 27 10.32x
Buckland In Dover 26 39.63x
Harborne 26 4.14x
St Marylebone London 26 0.84x
West Ham 26 1.03x
Brighton 25 1.27x
Shoreditch London 25 0.99x
Canterbury St Mary 24 18.06x
Canterbury St Paul 24 67.53x
Hertford St John 24 40.26x
Fulstone 23 54.67x
Neithrop 23 19.10x
Oxford St Giles 23 13.45x
Bishopsbourne 22 312.94x
Mirfield 22 6.97x
Nonington 22 139.51x
Almondbury 21 7.55x
Deptford St Paul 21 1.38x
Dover St Mary Virgin 21 10.96x
Isleworth 21 8.14x
Walmer 21 24.40x
Deddington 20 51.43x
Ducklington 20 231.48x
Herne 20 22.82x
Honley 20 19.87x
Radford 20 5.03x
Rainham 20 36.76x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 1.71x
Whichford 20 248.45x
Baldock 19 50.53x
Barham 19 94.34x
Bermondsey 19 1.10x
Ecclesall Bierlow 19 1.62x
Fyvie 19 21.66x
Sturry 19 81.13x
Batley 18 3.29x
Cowley 18 16.09x
Elham 18 76.08x
Kingston On Thames 18 2.65x
Tonbridge 18 2.52x
Birchington 17 61.35x
Hampstead London 17 1.88x
Hepworth 17 73.21x
Sheffield 17 0.93x
Stourton 17 453.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 318
Sarah 253
Elizabeth 224
Jane 126
Ann 112
Emma 112
Ellen 91
Eliza 85
Emily 79
Alice 77
Annie 75
Hannah 62
Louisa 59
Edith 48
Caroline 44
Fanny 43
Harriet 43
Martha 43
Charlotte 40
Florence 37
Ada 35
Maria 32
Frances 31
Clara 30
Susan 28
Margaret 26
Amelia 24
Kate 23
Rose 23
Sophia 23
Harriett 22
Agnes 21
Amy 21
Catherine 21
Anne 18
Esther 18
Eleanor 17
Lucy 17
Matilda 17
Ruth 17
Anna 14
Isabella 13
Susannah 13
Gertrude 12
Jessie 12
Minnie 12
Julia 11
Lydia 11
Elizth. 10
Henrietta 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 346
John 262
George 233
James 190
Charles 160
Thomas 158
Henry 145
Joseph 80
Alfred 76
Edward 76
Frederick 67
Albert 60
Arthur 59
Richard 57
Robert 52
Walter 42
Frank 33
Edwin 32
Harry 29
Samuel 29
Herbert 20
Ernest 19
Daniel 15
Stephen 15
David 14
Fred 14
Wm. 14
Geo. 13
Thos. 13
Francis 12
Benjamin 10
Percy 10
Andrew 8
Edmund 8
Josiah 8
Lewis 8
Sam 8
Horace 7
Joe 7
Jonathan 7
Eli 6
Fredrick 6
Isaac 6
Sidney 6
Tom 6
Christopher 5
Frederic 5
J. 5
Jesse 5
Stanley 5

FAQ

Castle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Castle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,940 people were recorded with the Castle surname. That placed it at #748 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Castle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,784 in 2016. That gives Castle a modern rank of #994.

What does the Castle surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a castle or worked in one.

What does the Castle map show?

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