Girl · #14,477 in 2026

Castella

Castella is a type of Japanese sponge cake and is known for its sweet, moist brioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki, where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of wagashi, or traditional Japanese confectionery.

Current Rank
#14,477
Peak Rank
#3,137 (1929)
Total Babies
188
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1909
First Year
2015
Last Year
1929
Peak Year
#3137
Peak Rank
188
Total Count
28
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Castella

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Castella is a type of Japanese sponge cake and is known for its sweet, moist brioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki, where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of wagashi, or traditional Japanese confectionery.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Close-up The word "castella" is derived from the Portuguese Bolo de Castela , meaning "cake from Castile ". Its closest relative is pão-de-ló , a Portuguese cake. Pão-de-ló can be in turned derived from the French Pain de lof or Gâteau de Savoie . Similar European sponge cakes also reference Spain in their names, such as in Italian : Pan di Spagna , in Portuguese : Pão d’Espanha , in Romanian : Pandișpan , in Bulgarian : пандишпан , in Serbian : патишпањ , in Greek : Παντεσπάνι , and in Turkish : Pandispanya . Castile was a former kingdom of Spain , comprising its north-central provinces, thus
Origin & history
Pão-de-ló is castella's Portuguese ancestor In the 16th century, the Portuguese reached Japan and soon started trade and missionary work. Nagasaki was then the only Japanese port open for foreign commerce. This exchange, called the Nanban trade , brought many new things to Japan. The Portuguese introduced things such as guns , tobacco , pumpkins , and cakes baked with wheat flour, eggs, and milk. Castella cakes could be stored for a long time, and so were useful for the sailors who were out on the sea for months. In the Edo period , in part due to the cost of sugar, castella was an expensive d

The Story of Castella

The earliest SSA record of Castella as a baby girl name dates back to 1909, when 5 babies received it. 1929 was its biggest year on record, with 9 newborns named Castella — #3,137 in the national rankings. About 32% of every Castella on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Castella last appeared in the published SSA data in 2015, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 188 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Castella

Phonetically similar names — useful when Castella is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Castilla
  • Castelli
  • Castelo
  • Costello
  • Costilla
  • Castello
  • Cassella
  • Castillo
  • Costales
  • Kostal
  • Casilla
  • Kostel

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Castella

What does the name Castella mean?
Castella is a type of Japanese sponge cake and is known for its sweet, moist brioche-style flavour and texture. It is based on cakes introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. It was then popularized in the city of Nagasaki, where it is considered a specialty. Despite its foreign origins, it is considered a kind of wagashi, or traditional Japanese confectionery.
How popular is Castella in 2026?
In 2026, Castella ranks #14,477 among girls' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Castella most popular?
Castella reached its peak popularity in 1929, ranking #3,137 that year with 9 babies given the name.
Is Castella a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Castella is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Castella?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Castella include Vicy, Oney, Narcissa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

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Vicy
Peak #3137
👧
Oney
Peak #3137
👧
Narcissa
Peak #3137
👧
Mignonne
Peak #3137
👧
Leveta
Peak #3137
👧
Owen
Peak #3137
👧
Voilet
Peak #3137
👧
Annalou
Peak #3137

About the name Castella

Castella is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 188 births in the dataset. Castella's peak popularity came in 1929 when it ranked #3,137. Use the chart and map above to compare Castella's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.