Kasten
Usually a German surname, often explained as a short form of Christian names like Karsten or Christian.
The #7,614 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 70,716 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is generally treated as a German shortened or altered form of a personal name, especially Karsten, itself a regional form of Christian. Some older writers also noted spellings such as Kassen, Karsten, and Kasten together, which suggests a family of related name forms rather than a single fixed source. In German, Kasten can also mean "box" or "chest," but the surname evidence here points more strongly to a personal-name origin than to the common noun.
History
Nineteenth- and early-20th-century name scholars often grouped Kasten with forms derived from Christian/Karsten, and one source explicitly says it should be understood that way. The surname appears in German-speaking areas and later in English-language records through migration. Related forms such as Kastenmeyer also show how the base name was extended in compound surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same source tradition that links Kasten to Christian also notes that Kastenmeyer means something like "Kasten + farmer/tenant," showing how surname bases could become longer compound names.
From the historical record
“London, 6; RipDn, t ; Nnv York, T. Kasten, Masterson.'Nick. 'the master's son' (v. Master) ; cf. Taylorson, Cicrhson, Smithson, MiHerson. Considering the Urge number of early and later entries relating to this surname, it is”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances