Castor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Castor

What does the name Castor mean?

The name Castor is derived from the Middle English word "costard" which is "‘a prominently ribbed apple, a kind of large apple, but the word was evidently also known as a personal name." 1 Later, it defined a person who made a type of apple dumpling, a delicacy popular in early days. The final "d" from variants like Costard and Costerd was frequently dropped in later years.

In France the word "castor" literally translates as "beaver." And in this case as in the former, the name is understood to be an occupational name.

Early Origins of the Castor family

The surname Castor was first found in Lincolnshire where Alexander filius Costard was registered in the Pipe Rolls of 1203. In the Latin for, Roger Costardus was listed in Norfolk 1175-1186 and later Richard Costard was found in the Assize Rolls for Wiltshire in 1249. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Reginald Costard, Gloucestershire; Emma Costard, Oxfordshire; and Richard Costard, Cambridgeshire and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included an entry for Thomas Costard. 2

The source Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III had two entries for the family: John Costard, Lincolnshire; and Margery Costard, Lincolnshire.

Early History of the Castor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Castor research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1710 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Castor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Castor Spelling Variations

Coster, Costar, Costard, Costerman

Early Notables of the Castor family

Robert Coster who married Grace Pendarves, daughter of Sir William Pendarves of St. Ives. Richard Caistor (d. 1420), was an English theologian, "said to have been born at Caistor, near Norwich, from...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Castor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Castor Ranking

the United States, the name Castor is the 5,833^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Castor migration to the United States +

Castor Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Castor, who landed in Virginia in 1664 4

Castor Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Julius Castor, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1867 4

Castor migration to Canada +

Castor Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Joseph Castor, aged 46, who landed in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767

Contemporary Notables of the name Castor (post 1700) +

Kathy Castor (b. 1966), American politician, U.S. Representative for Florida's 11th congressional district
Jimmy Castor (b. 1947), American pop and funk musician, best known of his hit Troglodyte (Cave Man)
George A. Castor (1855-1906), American politician
Bruce Castor (b. 1961), American lawyer and politician, District Attorney of Montgomery County
Betty Castor (b. 1941), American educator and politician, past President of the University of South Florida
William N. Castor, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1976; Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1988 5
Tobias Castor (1840-1901), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Nebraska, 1876 (member, Committee on Permanent Organization), 1888, 1892; Member, Committee on Permanent Organization, Democratic National Convention, 1888 6
Kathy Castor (b. 1966), American Democratic Party politician, Lawyer ; Candidate in primary for U.S. Senator from Florida, 2000; Hillsborough County Commissioner, 2002-06; U.S. Representative from Florida 11th District, 2007-; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Florida, 2008 6
Harry C. Castor, American Democratic Party politician, Kansas Democratic State Chair, 1944-46 6
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html