The name Castle has appeared (occasionally) in the U.S. baby name data since the 1910s, but usage didn’t start picking up until 2010:
- 2012: 19 baby boys named Castle
- 2011: 17 baby boys named Castle
- 2010: 14 baby boys named Castle
- 2009: unlisted
- 2008: unlisted
(A year later, the variant spelling Kastle debuted.)
What accounts for the sudden interest?
The TV series Castle (2009-2016), which featured a main character named Richard Castle (played by Nathan Fillion).
Richard Castle — referred to as “Castle” by most of the other characters — was a famous mystery novelist. He initially teamed up with NYPD homicide detective Kate Beckett (played by Stana Katic) to track down a copycat killer who was re-creating murder scenes from his books. “While solving the case, the two realize that their unorthodox partnership has its benefits and decide to continue working together,” solving unusual crimes around New York City.
What do you think of Castle as a baby name?
Sources: Castle (TV series) – Wikipedia, Castle – Rotten Tomatoes