Explore the Family Name Cast

The meaning of Cast

1. Americanized form of German Kast. 2. English: possibly a variant of Cass, with post-medieval excrescent -t, perhaps influenced by Middle English cast with a wide range of applications, e.g. ‘belt, throw, allowance of hay’. 3. French: habitational name from Cast, a place in Finistère, Brittany. This surname is very rare in France. 4. In some cases perhaps also an altered form of French Caste: from Old French chaste ‘chaste, virtuous’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Cast in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Cast has experienced a slight decrease in the United States over the past decade. In 2000, it was ranked 19,587 in terms of commonality among surnames and by 2010, it had dropped to 20,937, indicating a rank change of -6.89%. The total number of people with the Cast surname also slightly dipped from 1,274 in 2000 to 1,258 in 2010, a reduction of -1.26%. The proportion of people named Cast per 100k of the population declined by -8.51% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#19,587#20,937-6.89%
Count1,2741,258-1.26%
Proportion per 100k0.470.43-8.51%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cast

The ethnicity associated with the surname Cast also showed some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Among those bearing the Cast surname, the proportion identifying as White decreased slightly from 84.69% to 81.56%, while those identifying as Hispanic saw an increase from 7.46% to 9.70%. There was a small increase in the Black category from 5.18% to 5.56%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native were not recorded in 2000 but appeared in the 2010 census, with proportions of 0.72% and 1.11%, respectively. The category for two or more races saw a slight increase from 1.33% to 1.35%.

20002010Change
White84.69%81.56%-3.7%
Hispanic7.46%9.7%30.03%
Black5.18%5.56%7.34%
Two or More Races1.33%1.35%1.5%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%1.11%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.72%0%