# Castro (surname)

Castro is a Portuguese and Galician surname popular in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, coming from Latin castrum, meaning a castle or fortress. Its English equivalent is Chester.

## Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 19.2% of all known bearers of the surname Castro were residents of Mexico (frequency 1:254), 12.0% of Colombia (1:157), 10.0% of Brazil (1:801), 6.8% of the Philippines (1:583), 6.3% of the United States (1:2,249), 5.2% of Argentina (1:325), 4.8% of Peru (1:261), 4.7% of Spain (1:387), 4.0% of Venezuela (1:299), 3.9% of Chile (1:179), 3.0% of Ecuador (1:206), 2.6% of Honduras (1:134), 2.4% of Guatemala (1:269), 2.0% of Costa Rica (1:93), 1.8% of Cuba (1:251), 1.7% of Nicaragua (1:141), 1.5% of Bolivia (1:276), 1.5% of El Salvador (1:165), 1.5% of Portugal (1:278), 1.4% of the Dominican Republic (1:297) and 1.1% of Mozambique (1:1,011).
In Spain, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:387) in the following autonomous communities:
* 1. Galicia (1:95)
* 2. Canary Islands (1:282)
* 3. Andalusia (1:310)
* 4. Asturias (1:338)
In Costa Rica, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:93) in the following provinces:
* 1. Alajuela Province (1:65)
* 2. San José Province (1:75)

## People

* Alicia Castro (born 1949), Argentine diplomat
* Álvaro de Castro (1878–1928), Portuguese politician
* Américo Castro (1885–1972), Spanish historian
* Anabella Castro, Colombian model
* André Castro (born 1988), Portuguese footballer
* Ángel Castro y Argiz (1875–1956), father of Cuban leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro
* Anthony Castro (baseball) (born 1995), Venezuelan baseball player
* Ariel Castro (1960–2013), Puerto Rican American kidnapper and rapist
* Arles Castro (born 1979), Colombian track and road cyclist
* Arturo Castro (Mexican actor) (1918–1975)
* Arturo Castro (Guatemalan actor) (born 1985)
* Aureo Castro (1917–1993), Macanese–Portuguese composer, musician and teacher
* Balthazar (Isaac) Orobio de Castro, (c.1617–1687) Jewish philosopher
* Benjamin Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Bernadette Castro (born 1944), U.S. politician
* Carlos Castro (disambiguation), several people
* César Castro (diver) (born 1982), Brazilian diver
* Cipriano Castro (1858–1924), President of Venezuela
* Claudia Mabel Castro (born 1968), Chilean entrepreneur
* Claudia Roxana Castro, Argentine LGBT activist
* Crispin Castro Monroy (born 1936), Mexican politician
* Cristian Castro (born 1974), Mexican singer
* Daniel Castro (disambiguation), several people
* David Castro (swimmer) (born 1964), Brazilian swimmer
* David Castro (actor) (born 1996), American actor
* Dionísio Castro (born 1963), Portuguese long-distance runner
* Domingos Castro (born 1963), Portuguese long-distance runner
* Eddie Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Eduardo Castro (born 1954), Mexican long-distance runner
* Eduardo Viveiros de Castro (born 1951), Brazilian ethnologist
* Ernesto Castro (born 1971), Salvadoran politician
* Elizabeth Castro, U.S. writer on web sites
* Fernando Castro (disambiguation)
* Fernando Ruiz de Castro (disambiguation)
* Fidel Castro (1926–2016), former First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
* Fidel Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Francisco Castro (disambiguation), multiple people
* Germán Castro Caycedo (1940–2021), Colombian journalist and writer
* Giovanna Arbunic Castro (born 1964), Chilean chess player
* Glaiza de Castro (born 1986), Filipina actress
* Gonzalo Castro (born 1987), German footballer
* Gonzalo Castro Irizábal (born 1984), Uruguayan footballer
* Guillén de Castro y Bellvis (1569–1631), Spanish dramatist
* Harold Castro (born 1993), Venezuelan baseball player
* Héctor Castro (1904–1960), Uruguayan footballer
* Henri Castro (1786–1865), pioneer of the Republic of Texas
* Inês de Castro (1325–1355), Galician noblewoman and Queen of Portugal after her death
* Isabel Castro (artist) (born 1954), Mexican-born American artist
* Israel Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Jason Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Jayson Castro (born 1986), Filipino basketball player
* Jesús Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Joaquin Castro (born 1974), American politician
* Jorge Castro (disambiguation), several people
* José Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Joseph Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Juan Castro (born 1972), Mexican baseball player
* Juan José Castro (1895–1968), Argentine composer
* Juanita Castro (1933–2023), Cuban revolutionary, sister of Fidel and Raul Castro
* Julian Castro (born 1974), American politician
* Julián Castro Contreras (1810 – 1875), President of Venezuela
* Kat de Castro (born 1978), Filipino broadcaster and daughter of Noli de Castro
* Kervin Castro (born 1999), Venezuelan baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
* Lenny Castro (born 1956), American percussionist and musician
* Luciano Castro (born 1975), Argentine actor
* Luís Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Luz Dary Castro (born 1978), Colombian shot putter and discus thrower
* Marco Castro (born 1976), a Peruvian American film director
* Margalida Castro (1943–2024), Colombian actress
* María Elisa Castro (born 1954), Argentine politician
* Mariela Castro (born 1962), Cuban LGBT and sex education activist, and daughter of Raúl Castro
* Mauricio Castro (born 1981), Honduran footballer
* Maxloren Castro (born 2007), Peruvian footballer
* Michael Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Miguel Castro (born 1994), Dominican professional baseball player
* Nelson Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Noli de Castro (born 1949), Filipino broadcast journalist and politician
* Oscar Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Pedro Fernández de Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Plácido de Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Ramón Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Raquel Castro (born 1994), American actress
* Raul Hector Castro (1916–2015), U.S. politician
* Raúl Castro (born 1931), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
* Raúl Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Roberto Michael Castro (born 1989), Ecuadorian footballer
* Rodolfo Castro (born 1999), Dominican baseball player
* Rosalía de Castro (1837–1885), Spanish Galician language writer and poet
* Sal Castro (1933–2013), Mexican-American educator and activist
* Saleta Castro (born 1989), a Spanish triathlete
* Salvador Castaneda Castro (1888–1965), Salvadorian politician
* Sebastian Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Sergio de Castro (disambiguation), several people
* Sheilla Castro (born 1983), Brazilian volleyball player
* Starlin Castro (born 1990), Dominican baseball player
* Teresita de Castro (born 1948), Filipina judge
* Verónica Castro (born 1952), Mexican actress
* Willi Castro (born 1997), Puerto Rican baseball player
* Xiomara Castro (born 1959), Honduran politician
* Yaakov de Castro (1525–1610), Spanish-Egyptian scholar, judge and exponent of Jewish law
* Zulema Castro de Peña (c. 1920–2013), Argentine activist