Castellón
A Spanish surname tied to places named for a castle or fortified site.
The #4,421 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,396 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Castellón is a Spanish place-name surname built on castellón, a form related to castellum, the Latin word for a castle or fortified place. In older Spanish usage, it could refer to a field, settlement, or area where a castle stood or had stood. Surnames of this type were often taken from a person's home village or from a notable local landmark.
History
The name is associated with the Spanish-speaking world and is especially familiar from place names in eastern Spain, such as Castellón. As a surname, it would typically have identified someone from such a place rather than describing a personal trait. Later migration spread the name widely across Spain, Latin America, and into the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Castellón is also the name of a Spanish province and city, which helped keep the surname strongly tied to place.
From the historical record
“Castellar. Toda buena. Planta. Castellon. El campo donde hai o hubo castillo. Castillejo. Castillo pequeño. Carreton para que apren- dan andar los niños. Castillo. Lugar fuerte cercado de murallas, haluarte, fo-”
— Diccionario de los apellidos