Casillas
A Spanish surname most likely tied to small houses, huts, or cabins.
The #1,579 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,595 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Casillas is the plural of Spanish cásilla/casilla, a word for a small house, hut, booth, or cabin. The ultimate root is Latin casa, meaning a house or cottage. As a surname, it likely began as a habitational or descriptive name for someone living by, near, or in a cluster of small dwellings or simple shelters.
History
The surname is well established in Spanish-speaking regions and later spread widely through the Spanish Empire, especially to the Americas. In the United States it is most common among families of Hispanic origin, especially those with roots in Mexico and the Southwest. The surname may also reflect place-name use, since Spanish toponymy often uses casilla/casillas for small settlements or huts.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older Spanish, casilla could refer not just to a tiny house but also to a small booth or shelter, so the name can evoke a very modest dwelling rather than a formal home.
From the historical record
“drés. Cabañas. Casillas toscas í rústicas. Rebaños de ovejas i Recuas de caballerias.—CABAÑA REAL DE GANADO. El conjunto de ganado trashumante que tienen los ganade- ros que componen el consejo de la Mesta. Llámase cabaña real por la proteccion que le han dispensado los reyes con los muchos i grandes privilejios…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos