Castro (surname)



Castro is a Castilian surname popular in Spanish and Portuguese countries, coming from Latin castrum, meaning a castle or fortress. Its English equivalent is Chester.

Geographical distribution
As of 2014, 19.2% of all known bearers of the surname Castro were residents of Mexico (frequency 1:254), 12.0% of Colombia (1:157), 10.0% of Brazil (1:801), 6.8% of the Philippines (1:583), 6.3% of the United States (1:2,249), 5.2% of Argentina (1:325), 4.8% of Peru (1:261), 4.7% of Spain (1:387), 4.0% of Venezuela (1:299), 3.9% of Chile (1:179), 3.0% of Ecuador (1:206), 2.6% of Honduras (1:134), 2.4% of Guatemala (1:269), 2.0% of Costa Rica (1:93), 1.8% of Cuba (1:251), 1.7% of Nicaragua (1:141), 1.5% of Bolivia (1:276), 1.5% of El Salvador (1:165), 1.5% of Portugal (1:278), 1.4% of the Dominican Republic (1:297) and 1.1% of Mozambique (1:1,011).

In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:387) in the following autonomous communities:
 * 1. Galicia (1:95)
 * 2. Canary Islands (1:282)
 * 3. Andalusia (1:310)
 * 4. Asturias (1:338)

In Costa Rica, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:93) in the following provinces:
 * 1. Alajuela Province (1:65)
 * 2. San José Province (1:75)

People

 * Alicia Castro (born 1949), Argentine diplomat
 * Álvaro de Castro (1878–1928), Portuguese politician
 * Américo Castro (1885–1972), Spanish historian
 * Anabella Castro, Colombian model
 * André Castro (born 1988), Portuguese footballer
 * Ángel Castro y Argiz (1875–1956), father of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro
 * Anthony Castro (baseball) (born 1995), Venezuelan baseball player
 * Ariel Castro (1960–2013), Puerto Rican American kidnapper and rapist
 * Arles Castro (born 1979), Colombian track and road cyclist
 * Arturo Castro (Mexican actor) (1918–1975)
 * Arturo Castro (Guatemalan actor) (born 1985)
 * Aureo Castro (1917–1993), Macanese–Portuguese composer, musician and teacher
 * Balthazar (Isaac) Orobio de Castro, (c.1617–1687) Jewish philosopher
 * Benjamin Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Bernadette Castro (born 1944), U.S. politician
 * Carlos Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * César Castro (diver) (born 1982), Brazilian diver
 * Cipriano Castro (1858–1924), President of Venezuela
 * Claudia Mabel Castro (born 1968), Chilean entrepreneur
 * Claudia Roxana Castro, Argentine LGBT activist
 * Crispin Castro Monroy (born 1936), Mexican politician
 * Cristian Castro (born 1974), Mexican singer
 * Daniel Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * David Castro (swimmer) (born 1964), Brazilian swimmer
 * David Castro (actor) (born 1996), American actor
 * Dionísio Castro (born 1963), Portuguese long-distance runner
 * Domingos Castro (born 1963), Portuguese long-distance runner
 * Eddie Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Eduardo Castro (born 1954), Mexican long-distance runner
 * Eduardo Viveiros de Castro (born 1951), Brazilian ethnologist
 * Ernesto Castro (born 1971), Salvadoran politician
 * Elizabeth Castro, U.S. writer on web sites
 * Elizabeth Castro (born 2007), a girl with glasses
 * Fernando Castro (disambiguation)
 * Fernando Ruiz de Castro (disambiguation)
 * Fidel Castro (1926–2016), former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
 * Fidel Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Francisco Castro (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Germán Castro Caycedo (1940–2021), Colombian journalist and writer
 * Giovanna Arbunic Castro (born 1964), Chilean chess player
 * Glaiza de Castro (born 1986), Filipina actress
 * Gonzalo Castro (born 1987), German footballer
 * Gonzalo Castro Irizábal (born 1984), Uruguayan footballer
 * Guillén de Castro y Bellvis (1569–1631), Spanish dramatist
 * Harold Castro (born 1993), Venezuelan baseball player
 * Héctor Castro (1904–1960), Uruguayan footballer
 * Henri Castro (1786–1865), pioneer of the Republic of Texas
 * Inês de Castro (1325–1355), Galician noblewoman and Queen of Portugal after her death
 * Isabel Castro (artist) (born 1954), Mexican-born American artist
 * Israel Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Jason Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Jayson Castro (born 1986), Filipino basketball player
 * Jesús Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Joaquin Castro (born 1974), American politician
 * Jorge Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * José Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Joseph Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Juan Castro (born 1972), Mexican baseball player
 * Juan José Castro (1895–1968), Argentine composer
 * Juanita Castro (1933–2023), Cuban revolutionary, sister of Fidel and Raul Castro
 * Julian Castro (born 1974), American politician
 * Julián Castro Contreras (1810 – 1875), President of Venezuela
 * Kat de Castro (born 1978), Filipino broadcaster and daughter of Noli de Castro
 * Kervin Castro (born 1999), Venezuelan baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
 * Luciano Castro (born 1975), Argentine actor
 * Luís Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Luz Dary Castro (born 1978), Colombian shot putter and discus thrower
 * Marco Castro (born 1976), a Peruvian American film director
 * María Elisa Castro (born 1954), Argentine politician
 * Mariela Castro (born 1962), Cuban LGBT and sex education activist, and daughter of Raúl Castro
 * Mauricio Castro (born 1981), Honduran footballer
 * Michael Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Miguel Castro (born 1994), Dominican professional baseball player
 * Nelson Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Noli de Castro (born 1949), Filipino broadcast journalist and politician
 * Oscar Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Pedro Fernández de Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Plácido de Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Ramón Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Raquel Castro (born 1994), American actress
 * Raul Hector Castro (1916–2015), U.S. politician
 * Raúl Castro (born 1931), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
 * Raúl Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Roberto Michael Castro (born 1989), Ecuadorian footballer
 * Rodolfo Castro (born 1999), Dominican baseball player
 * Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), Spanish Galician language writer and poet
 * Sal Castro (1933–2013), Mexican-American educator and activist
 * Saleta Castro (born 1989), a Spanish (Galician) triathlete
 * Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965), Salvadorian politician
 * Sebastian Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Sergio de Castro (disambiguation), several people
 * Sheilla Castro (born 1983), Brazilian volleyball player
 * Starlin Castro (born 1990), Dominican baseball player
 * Teresita de Castro (born 1948), Filipina judge
 * Verónica Castro (born 1952), Mexican actress
 * Willi Castro (born 1997), Puerto Rican baseball player
 * Xiomara Castro (born 1959), Honduran politician
 * Zulema Castro de Peña (c. 1920–2013), Argentine activist