NameCensus.

UK surname

Castleton

A habitational surname referring to someone who lived in or near a castle town.

In the 1881 census there were 254 people recorded with the Castleton surname, ranking it #10,949 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 542, ranked #9,396, up from #10,949 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Carlton Colville and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Waveney and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Castleton is 554 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 113.4%.

1881 census count

254

Ranked #10,949

Modern count

542

2016, ranked #9,396

Peak year

2014

554 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Castleton had 254 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,949 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016, ranked #9,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 420 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Castleton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Castleton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Castleton 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 163 #12,156
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 254 #10,949
1891 historical 300 #11,119
1901 historical 363 #10,145
1911 historical 420 #8,969
1997 modern 531 #8,900
1998 modern 529 #9,195
1999 modern 539 #9,116
2000 modern 520 #9,339
2001 modern 531 #9,039
2002 modern 541 #9,088
2003 modern 510 #9,350
2004 modern 508 #9,404
2005 modern 514 #9,262
2006 modern 517 #9,246
2007 modern 515 #9,357
2008 modern 525 #9,286
2009 modern 533 #9,393
2010 modern 543 #9,443
2011 modern 538 #9,444
2012 modern 535 #9,375
2013 modern 543 #9,432
2014 modern 554 #9,331
2015 modern 550 #9,308
2016 modern 542 #9,396

Geography

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Where Castletons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Carlton Colville, Sheffield, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Waveney and Scarborough. 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 Carlton Colville Suffolk
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 007 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 Waveney 002 Waveney
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Waveney 009 Waveney
5 Scarborough 012 Scarborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Castleton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Castleton

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Castleton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Castleton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Castleton 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

Castleton is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Castleton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Castleton is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Castleton

The surname Castleton originated in England and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Castleton, which referred to a town or village located near a castle. The name Castleton is composed of the Old English words "castel" meaning castle and "tun" meaning town or settlement.

Castleton is a place name found in various parts of England, including Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Castleton appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1175, which mention a Robert de Castelton.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England completed in 1086, does not include the name Castleton directly. However, it records several place names that may have given rise to the surname, such as Castellum (meaning castle) and Casterfeld (meaning castle field).

One notable early bearer of the surname Castleton was Sir John de Castleton, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was born around 1320 and served under King Edward III.

Another historical figure with the surname Castleton was Thomas Castleton, a 16th-century English theologian and author. He was born in Yorkshire in 1546 and published several works on religious subjects.

In the 17th century, there was a Samuel Castleton (1628-1704), an English merchant and explorer who traveled to the West Indies and wrote about his experiences in a book titled "A Discourse on the West Indies."

Later, in the 18th century, there was a John Castleton (1756-1832), an English clergyman and author who wrote on topics such as theology and education.

Finally, in the 19th century, there was a Margaret Castleton (1818-1896), an English philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve the lives of working-class women and children.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Castleton, which has its origins in the medieval period and is derived from the Old English place name referring to a town or settlement near a castle.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Castleton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Castleton 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. Yorkshire leads with 61 Castletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.48x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 61 2.48x
Kent 46 5.44x
Norfolk 42 11.03x
Suffolk 40 13.25x
Middlesex 26 1.05x
Surrey 14 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 9 2.69x
Lancashire 5 0.17x
Berkshire 4 2.15x
Derbyshire 2 0.52x
Hampshire 2 0.39x
Cornwall 1 0.36x
Essex 1 0.20x
Fife 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 28 Castletons recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.82x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 28 35.82x
Lowestoft 26 182.33x
Bexley 17 227.58x
Arnold 9 184.80x
Ecclesall Bierlow 8 16.02x
St Giles In Fields London 8 65.84x
Heigham 7 34.23x
Leeds 7 5.05x
Poplar London 7 14.97x
South Lynn 7 162.79x
Wilmington 7 593.22x
Huddersfield 6 16.77x
Oulton 6 588.24x
Croydon 5 7.46x
Kirkley 5 198.41x
Lambeth 5 2.31x
Minster In Sheppey 5 35.71x
Orpington 5 193.05x
Abingdon St Helen 4 73.53x
Bromley 4 31.06x
Great Melton 4 1481.48x
Redenhall 4 270.27x
Besthorpe 3 731.71x
Brightside Bierlow 3 6.23x
Carlton Colville 3 270.27x
Eynsford 3 206.90x
Hempnall 3 400.00x
Hook 3 55.56x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 3 26.22x
Liverpool 3 1.68x
Norwich St Michael At 3 135.75x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 3 157.07x
St Martin In Fields 3 20.23x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 2 8.75x
Bermondsey 2 2.71x
Chelsea London 2 2.68x
Gillingham 2 11.47x
Holy Trinity 2 3.39x
Newington 2 2.19x
Romsey Extra 2 66.23x
Thorpe Next Norwich 2 49.51x
Tottenham 2 5.07x
Barnsley 1 3.95x
Bromley London 1 1.83x
Catfield 1 185.19x
Chatham 1 4.30x
Crayford 1 27.10x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.53x
Dewsbury 1 3.97x
Dickleburgh 1 142.86x
Eccleston In Prescot 1 6.78x
Falmouth 1 10.07x
Forgan 1 35.59x
Gressenhall 1 142.86x
Hammersmith London 1 1.64x
Hampstead London 1 2.59x
Lexden 1 51.02x
Marston Upon Dove 1 80.00x
Norton 1 31.25x
St Pancras London 1 0.50x
Toxteth Park 1 1.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Emily 9
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Eliza 7
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Annie 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Jane 3
A. 2
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Harriet 2
Maria 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
A.M.E. 1
Agness 1
Alice 1
Angelina 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Esther 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Georgianna 1
Harriett 1
Jenny 1
Jessie 1
Judith 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Marie 1
Rosa 1
Rosetta 1
Selina 1
Sopa. 1
Sophire 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 26
George 14
James 11
Thomas 7
John 6
Albert 4
Charles 4
Joseph 4
Alfred 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Robert 3
Arthur 2
C. 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Paris 2
Samuel 2
Stanley 2
Wm. 2
A. 1
Alexander 1
Bertie 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Elijah 1
Goerge 1
Harold 1
Horace 1
Hy. 1
Infant 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Percy 1
Saml. 1
Thos. 1
W. 1
Walston 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Castleton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Castleton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 254 people were recorded with the Castleton surname. That placed it at #10,949 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Castleton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 542 in 2016. That gives Castleton a modern rank of #9,396.

What does the Castleton surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone who lived in or near a castle town.

What does the Castleton map show?

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