Decastro History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

The surname Decastro is one of the oldest and most distinguished families of Spain. The original bearer of the name Decastro, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in one of the places named Castrothe, which is the name of many places in Spain. The place-name Castro is derived from the Latin word "castrum," which means "fortress." During the Reconquista, there were numerous fortresses in the Iberian Peninsula that were used as a refuge for the Christian troops who fought against the Muslim Moors. The fortresses also protected the civilian population and the new settlers in the area.

Early Origins of the Decastro family

The surname Decastro was first found in Castile, an important kingdom of medieval Spain.

Early History of the Decastro family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Decastro research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1236, 1239, 1240, 1242, 1325, 1355, 1380, 1441, 1495, 1558, 1569, 1570, 1580, 1600, 1617, 1631, 1633, 1656 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Decastro History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Decastro Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Castro, Castrillo, Castrelo and others.

Early Notables of the Decastro family

Prominent among members of the family Inês de Castro (1325-1355), a Galician noblewoman best known as lover and posthumously-recognized wife of King Peter I of Portugal. Fernando de Castro (c. 1380-1441) a 15th-century Portuguese nobleman, diplomat and military figure. Fernando de Castro was the 1st Lord of Paul de Boquilobo. He was a member of the royal council of John I of Portugal, and Governor of the household of Prince Henry the Navigator.Alfonso y Castro (1495-1558), was a theologian, a native of Zamora in Spain, and at an early age entered the Franciscan...
Another 93 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Decastro Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Decastro Ranking

In the United States, the name Decastro is the 7,220^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Decastro is ranked the 7,358^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Decastro migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Decastro Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Antonio DeCastro, who arrived in New Spain in 1835 3
Juana DeCastro, who landed in America in 1835 3
Lorenzo DeCastro, who arrived in Rio de la Plata in 1835 3
Pedro DeCastro, who landed in Cartagena in 1835 3
Sebastian DeCastro, who arrived in New Spain in 1835 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Decastro migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 4

Decastro Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

Hernando DeCastro, who landed in Dominican Republic in 1835 3
Bartolome DeCastro, who landed in Dominican Republic in 1837 3
Alvaro DeCastro, who landed in Dominican Republic in 1838 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Decastro (post 1700) +

German DeCastro, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from North Carolina, 2004 5
Inez de Castro, daughter of a Spanish nobleman
Guillén de Castro (1569-1631), Spanish dramatist
Leo de Castro (1948-2019), born Kiwi Leo de Castro Kino, a New Zealand funk and soul singer-guitarist
Cipriano de Castro, Venezuelan politician
Joao de Castro (1500-1548), Portuguese naval commander
Eugenio de Castro (1869-1944), Portuguese poet

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html