Show ContentsCastellar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Castellar originated in an area of Italy, known as the Papal States. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adapt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of the Papal States is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Castellar family lived at or near a "castle."

Early Origins of the Castellar family

The surname Castellar was first found in the year 1070, when Pantaleone Castelli was responsible for the construction of the bronze doors for the church of San Paolo.

Early History of the Castellar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Castellar research. The years 1210, 1211, 1229, 1390, 1420, 1488, 1500, 1521, 1557, 1600, 1608, 1624, 1629, 1659, 1660 and 1672 are included under the topic Early Castellar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Castellar Spelling Variations

Surnames that originated in Italy are characterized by an enormous number of spelling variations. Some of these are derived from regional traditions and dialects. Northern names, for instance, often end in "o", while southern names tend to end in "i". Other variations come from the fact the medieval scribes tended to spell according to the sound of words, rather than any particular set of rules. The recorded variations of Castellar include Castelli, Castello, Castella, Castiello, Castiglio, Del Castello, Del Castiglio, Castelletti, Castelletto, Castelletta, Castellini, Castellino, Castellucci, Casteluccio, Castelluzzi, Castelluzzo, Castellotti, Castellotto, Castellone, Castiglione, Castiglioni, Castioni, Castellacci, Castellaccio, Castellazzi, Castellazzo, Castellani, Castellano, Castellana, Castellàn, Castellaneta, Castellari, Castellaro, Castellarini, Castellarìn, Castelfranco, Castelfranchi, Castelnovo, Castelnuovo, Castelnovi, Castelvecchio, Castelvecchi, Castelvetro and many more.

Early Notables of the Castellar family

Prominent among members of the family was Alberto Castellani was mayor of Cerea in 1210, 1211, and again in 1229; Pierozzo Castellani was a priest in 1390; Luca Castellano was a priest in 1420; Agostino Castelli of Brescia was a military engineer and a prominent architect in 1488; the Da Castello family, who were landowners in Novara during the 12th century; Ludovico Castellani was a famous sculptor in Ferrara in the 15th century; Castellano Castellani was a nobleman in Florence around this time; Salvi Castellucci was a famous painter...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Castellar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Castellar migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Castellar or a variant listed above:

Castellar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jose De Castellar, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1814 1
  • Diego Antonio De Castellar, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1852 1


  1. 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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook