Castelan
A surname of French origin, likely linked to a castle keeper or someone associated with a castle.
The #9,048 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 85,501 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Castelan is most likely a French surname from Old French chatelain, meaning the keeper or governor of a castle. The form ultimately goes back to Latin castellum, “castle,” with the surname referring either to a person who managed a fortress or to someone connected with one. The spelling Castelan looks like a simplified or variant form of the more common French surname Chatelain/Chastelain.
History
The historical excerpt points to Castelan as a variant related to Chatelain, a well-known medieval French surname. In England and later in Anglophone records, such names often appeared in several spellings as clerks rendered French names phonetically. The surname is relatively uncommon in the United States today, suggesting either limited immigration under this exact form or later spelling simplification.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The root behind Castelan is the same Latin word that gave English the word “castle.”
From the historical record
“man, F/\ Chaser, 230. Simon le Chasur, A. Chatelain (v. Castelan), 204. Ralph le Chatelaine, A. Chaucer, 354. Gerard le Chaucer, //. Mary le Chaucer, N. Ralph le Chau-”
— English Surnames: their sources and significations