Fun Facts About the Name Castle
- 384 babies named Castle: U.S. records list 384 babies given the name Castle from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Castle Mean?
Castle is an English name meaning "fortress" or "castle," taken from the ordinary word for a fortified building. The word goes back to Latin castellum, a diminutive of castrum, meaning "fortress" or "camp." It entered Old English as castel and was reinforced after the Norman Conquest by Old French castel, from the same Latin source. As a surname, Castle was topographic: it identified someone who lived by a castle or worked in one. Used as a first name, it keeps the literal sense of the word rather than a separate religious or classical meaning. Symbolic readings of a castle as a place of protection or strength are associations, not the name's etymology.
Castle Name History & Origins
The word behind Castle is Latin castellum, a diminutive of castrum. It passed into Old English as castel and into Old French as castel. After the Norman Conquest, the French form reinforced the English word. In the Middle Ages, English surnames often came from where a person lived or worked, and castel gave rise to the surname Castle for someone associated with a castle. Middle English castel lies behind the modern surname Castle. The surname is chiefly English and later appears in Ireland, Scotland, and North America.
As a given name, Castle is a transferred surname or word name. English speakers have long used surnames and common nouns as first names, and Castle belongs to that pattern. The given name is distinct from the surname in use but shares the same origin in the word for a castle.
How Popular is the Name Castle?
Castle has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2018. Its best rank was #3,460 in 2018.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,430 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2024 | #4,201 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #6,601 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #5,472 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2021 | #4,032 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2020 | #4,163 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #4,992 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #3,460 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #4,126 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2016 | #5,827 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #3,899 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2014 | #5,516 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #6,665 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #4,892 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #5,235 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #6,091 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #12,665 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2006 | #12,334 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #9,273 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #9,772 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #9,260 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #10,137 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #9,841 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #4,131 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1933 | #3,724 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,536 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #4,256 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1916 | #3,999 | 5 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Castle Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Castle's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Castle's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.