Surname Kastori - Meaning and Origin

Kastori: What does the surname Kastori mean?

The last name Kastori is an interesting one that likely has origins in the Greek language, although its exact meaning is much harder to pinpoint. It’s possible that the name is derived from the Greek word “Kastor,” meaning “beaver.” This connection suggests that individuals originally bearing the name Kastori could have hailed from the area near what is today the Macedonian city of Kastoria.

Alternately, the name Kastori could be derived from the Latin word “castor,” meaning “rabbit.” This suggests that the Kastoris originally came from an area where rabbits were plentiful, possibly near the Castores River in Spain.

In addition, some academics have proposed that the Kastori name might actually be derived from the Turkish words "Kas Tanrısı," meaning “god of fate.” This theory suggests that the Kastoris trace their roots back to Turkish settlers who made a name for themselves by believing in a god of fate.

Regardless of its origin, the last name Kastori denotes a mysterious and unique heritage, one that might go all the way back to ancient Greece, Latin lands, or even further east to the Turkish homeland. Today, the Kastoris are a diaspora scattered around the world, likely unaware of the unique meaning that their last name carries with it.

Kastori: Where does the name Kastori come from?

The last name Kastori is most commonly found in Greece and parts of the surrounding Mediterranean region. It is thought to have originated from the Greek word "καστορος", which means quill or pen, because its first recorded bearer was a scribe or clerk. It is also a popular surname in Albania, Italy, and some central and eastern European countries such as Poland and Serbia. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Greece, the frequency of people with the name Kastori has decreased over the past few decades. However, the surname is relatively common in the cities of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa, Volos, and Crete, where it is still used by many contemporary families.

In the U.S., Kastori is an uncommon surname. There are only approximately 89 households with the name in the country, one of which is located in the state of Pennsylvania. Kastori may have first been brought to the United States by first and second-generation Greek-American immigrants in the early 20th century. Those with the surname are mostly concentrated in the northeastern, midwestern, and western parts of the U.S., particularly in Massachusetts, Illinois, and California.

Variations of the surname Kastori

The surname Kastori is believed to have originated from the ancient Greek word, ‘Kastorios’, which means ‘made of wool’, ‘straw’ or ‘reed’. The surname is likely to have originated in the Greek-speaking communities, before spreading throughout other parts of Europe.

Variants of the surname Kastori include Castory, Castori, Kastoris, Castorina, Castoriya, Kastoreio, Kostory, Kostorya, Kostori, Kostorinos, Kostoryo, Kostoryou, Kastoria, Kisztory and Kastorees. Some of these variants have adopted other spellings, such as Castoria, Castoreio, Castoreya, Kastorina, Kastoreya or Kastorou.

The Italian version of the surname usually takes the form of Castori, while the Spanish variant is spelled Castor. The surname also has an Italian diminutive form, Castorel, and some variants are found in other languages, such as Castori (Hebrew), Kalstori (Yiddish), Kastaury (Ukrainian) or Kostorin (Bulgarian).

Occasionally, the surname Kastori is shortened to simply 'Kastor', and some individuals may adopt alternative spellings when anglicising the name, such as Kaster, Kastre or Kastry. Over time, the surname may have mutated into other surnames, such as Kasparino, Casperiti, Caspert, Cardenas, Kasperak or Kostrantaeus, which all possess a similar etymology to Kastori.

Famous people with the name Kastori

• Ludmila Kastori: Latvian former volleyball player
• Marco Kastori: Italian basketball player
• Giannis Kastori: Greek football coach
• Agron Kastori: Albanian football player
• Dritan Kastori: Albanian football player
• Athina Kastori: Greek professional swimmer
• Vasilis Kastori: Greek cinematographer 8.Antonio Kastori: Venezuelan singer
• Steli Kastori: actress in the film Lilya 4-ever
• Dana Kastori: British-American radio presenter

Other surnames

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