Chastain
A surname of likely French origin, most often explained as a locational name from a place or estate name built on an old word for a chestnut tree or chestnut grove.
The #2,637 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,610 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Chastain is generally treated as a French surname, especially from southern French or Occitan usage. It is commonly connected with a place name derived from a word for "chestnut" or "chestnut tree/grove," related to Old French and regional forms such as chastain/chastan. In that sense, the name would originally have pointed to someone who lived near, or came from, a chestnut wood or a place called something like Chastain.
History
The surname is found in French records and later appears in North America, especially among families of French or French-Canadian background. In the United States it is now most familiar in the South and in areas with historic French settlement or migration. Spelling and pronunciation have varied over time, which is why related forms such as Chastain, Chastang, and Chasteen can be found in English-language records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the name is tied to chestnut trees, it belongs to a large family of European surnames built from tree names and local landscape features.
Notable people named Chastain
- Jessica Chastain (b. 1977)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.