Wishlist
Menu
Cart
HouseofNames
Wishlist
Cart

Show ContentsCostello History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Product

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

4.9 Average Rating

The Costello surname came to Ireland with the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century. They were originally from the Norman family Nangles, or de Angulos, and descended in Ireland from Gilbert de Nangle. Costello and associated variations come from the personal name of a son of Gilbert, Oisdealbhach, whose name consists of the elements "os," which means "deer or fawn", and "dealbhadh," which means "in the form of" or "resembling." The Gaelic form of the surname Costello, which predated the Anglicized version of the name, is Mac Oisdealbhaigh. This is the earliest recorded example of a Norman family assuming a Mac surname. The prefix O or Ó has sometimes been erroneously assumed. 1

Early Origins of the Costello family

The surname Costello was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht, where they were granted lands by the Earl of Pembroke in the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1172.

Early History of the Costello family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Costello research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1500, 1531, 1567, 1571, 1579, 1606, 1803 and 1865 are included under the topic Early Costello History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costello Spelling Variations

Names were simply spelled as they sounded by medieval scribes and church officials. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, his name was often spelt in many different ways, explaining the many spelling variations encountered while researching the name Costello. Some of these variations included: Costello, MacCostello, Costillo, Costallo, Kostello, McCostello, Caustello, Costellow and many more.

Early Notables of the Costello family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

  • Guillauame Costeley (1531-1606), Scottish organist and 'valet du chambre du roy' to Henry II and Charles IX of France. 2 Arthur Dudley Costello (1803-1865), was an English-born Irish novelist and...

Costello World Ranking

In the United States, the name Costello is the 1,297th most popular surname with an estimated 24,870 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Costello is ranked the 293rd most popular surname with an estimated 154 people with that name. 4 And in Australia, the name Costello is the 650th popular surname with an estimated 5,999 people with that name. 5 New Zealand ranks Costello as 914th with 808 people. 6

United States Costello migration to the United States +

Irish immigration to North American began in the late 18th century as many Irish families desired to own their own land. This pattern of immigration grew slowly yet steadily until the 1840s. At that time, a failed crop and a growing population in Ireland resulted in the Great Potato Famine. Poverty, disease, and starvation ravaged the land. To ease their pain and suffering the Irish often looked upon North America as a solution: hundreds of thousands undertook the voyage. Their arrival meant the growth of industry and commerce for British North America and the United States. For the individual Irishman, it meant survival and hope, and the opportunity for work, freedom, and ownership of land. The early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Costello:

Costello Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Honor Costello who landed in America in 1756
  • Robert Costello, who landed in America in 1760-1763 7
Costello Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Edmond Costello, aged 35, who arrived in Maryland in 1813 7
  • Thomas Costello, who landed in New York NY in 1815 7
  • Ellen Costello, aged 55, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 7
  • Ann Costello, who settled in New York State in 1848
  • Bridget Costello, who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1850
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Costello Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Sam Costello, who arrived in Alabama in 1922 7

Canada Costello migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Costello Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Anastasia Costello, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
  • Collin Costello, aged 25, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Joseph Costello, aged 20, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Thomas Costello, aged 12, a shoemaker, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" from Galway, Ireland
  • Mr. Edward Costello, aged 25 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Avon" departing from the port of Cork, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Costello migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Costello Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Costello, (b. 1797), aged 23, Irish labourer who was convicted in Roscommon, Ireland for 7 years for sedition, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. William Costello, (b. 1798), aged 30, Irish butcher who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Borodino" on 11th February 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1830 10
  • Miss Mary Costello who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • Mr. John Costello, (b. 1813), aged 27, Irish labourer born in Galway who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for murder, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Mr. Edward Costello, English convict who was convicted in Salford, Greater Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 28th July 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Costello migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Costello Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Peter Costello, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
  • Miss Annie Costello, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 17th October 1863 14
  • John Costello, aged 30, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • Margaret Costello, aged 23, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • Patrick Costello, aged 9 months, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Costello (post 1700) +

  • Elvis Costello (b. 1954), born DeClan Patrick McManus, English Grammy Award winning, twice Brit Award nominated singer and songwriter, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2003)
  • Ryan Costello (1996-2019), American Major League Baseball infielder who played college baseball for Central Connecticut State University, and was playing in the Minnesota Twins organization at the time of his death
  • Thomas Joseph Costello (1929-2019), American prelate of the Catholic Church
  • Mark Costello (1955-2015), American politician, Commissioner of Labor of Oklahoma from 2011 to 2015
  • Paul Vincent Costello (1894-1986), American triple Olympic Gold Medal winner
  • Maurice Costello (1877-1950), American vaudeville actor
  • John Costello (b. 1850), U.S. Navy sailor and Medal of Honor recipient
  • Helene Costello (1906-1957), American silent film actress
  • Vice Admiral Barry M. Costello, American Commander of the US Third Fleet of the United States Navy, (2005 to 2007)
  • Louis Francis "Lou" Costello (1906-1959), American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
RMS Lusitania
  • Miss Mary Costello, American 2nd Class passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 15
  • Mr. Thomas Costello, Irish Fireman from Killawalla, County Mayo, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 16
SS Southern Cross
  • Mr. Thomas Costello (1895-1914), Newfoundlander from Conception Harbour who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found
  • Mr. Daniel Joseph Costello (1893-1914), Newfoundlander from Conception Harbour who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Costello Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ne te quaesiveris extra
Motto Translation: Seek nothing beyond your sphere.
  1. MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 21)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Borodino
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  16. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Houseofnames.com on Facebook