Show ContentsCastillo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Castillo is derived from the Late Latin word "castellum," which meant a fortified building (a castle), a set of buildings or even a village. The region of Castilla in central Spain, an independent kingdom from the 11th to the 16th century, was so named because of the many castles located there.

Early Origins of the Castillo family

The surname Castillo was first found in the mountainous area of Santander, in the northwestern region of the Iberian peninsula.

Early History of the Castillo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Castillo research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1492, 1521, 1527, 1528, 1547, 1560, 1561, 1569, 1584, 1590, 1602, 1656, 1657, 1699, 1757 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Castillo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Castillo Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Castillo, Castillos, Castel, Castello,Castilla and others.

Early Notables of the Castillo family

Prominent among members of the family Felix Castello (1602-1656), a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, painted for the chapel of Santo Cristo de la Paciencia in the Convent of...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Castillo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Castillo World Ranking

In the United States, the name Castillo is the 207th most popular surname with an estimated 126,837 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Castillo is ranked the 2,413rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,500 - 3,000 people with that name. 2 And in South America, the name Castillo is the 62nd popular surname with an estimated 70 people with that name. 3


Castillo migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Castillo Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Catalina Castillo, who arrived in Cartagena in 1597
Castillo Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Maria Del Castillo, who settled in New Orleans in 1778
  • Josefa Del Castillo, who settled in New Orleans in 1779
  • Geronimo Castillo, who settled in Louisiana in 1779
Castillo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Antonio Castillo, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
  • Manuel Castillo, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
  • Rafael Del Castillo, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1803 4
  • Bartolome Del Castillo, who arrived in America in 1812 4
  • Gonzalo Del Castillo, who arrived in America in 1814 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Castillo migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Castillo Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Catherine Castillo, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 5
  • Miss Mary Castillo, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Castillo (post 1700) +

  • Robert Ernie "Babo" Castillo Jr. (1955-2014), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1977 to 1985
  • Frank Anthony Castillo (1969-2013), American Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played from 1991 through 2005
  • Ana Castillo (b. 1953), Mexican-American Chicana novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist
  • Joey Castillo (b. 1966), American rock drummer
  • Brian Castillo (b. 1968), American musician, producer, and photographer
  • Edward J. Castillo, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1877-79 6
  • Carmen P. Castillo, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Texas, 2000 6
  • Carlos Castillo, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 2008 6
  • Blanca A. Castillo, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State Board of Education 11th District, 2002 6
  • Angel M. Castillo, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Puerto Rico, 1996 6
  • ... (Another 31 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. "List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
  4. 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)
  5. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook