Castleberry
An English-style habitational surname meaning someone who lived near or came from a castle or fortified place.
The #4,326 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,606 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Castleberry is most likely an English habitational surname built from Middle English castle, meaning a castle or fortified stronghold, plus a second element that has been reshaped in spelling over time. In many cases, surnames of this type began as names for people living by a notable landmark or from a place-name containing castle. The berry/bury ending may reflect an older form related to bury, meaning a fortified dwelling or borough, rather than the modern word "berry."
History
The surname is best understood as an Americanized or later stabilized spelling of an older English place-based name rather than as a literal reference to fruit. Forms in -berry and -bury often varied in records for centuries, especially in English and colonial American spelling. In the United States, Castleberry is found especially in the South and may have multiple independent family lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The ending -berry in surnames often has nothing to do with berries at all; it can preserve an older place-name element pronounced like "bury."