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![Show Contents]() Dacosta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Dacosta and its many variations originate in the numerous places in Portugal named da Costa or Costa having derived from the Portuguese word 'costa,' which means coast or shore. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Latin word "costa," meaning "rib". Early Origins of the Dacosta familyThe surname Dacosta was first found in at Quinta da Costa, in the region of Guimaraes, and dates from the reign of King Afonso Henriques in the 12th century. Don Joao Ribeiro Gaio, Bishop of Malaca, wrote a lyric poem extolling the bravery of the Dacosta family. An excerpt from the work states, "With ribs he defended himself, breaking the sword of his enemy, his beloved at his side, even though she also died." In some cases, the family was Cristãos-novos, or New Christians who converted from Judaism to Catholicism by state edict at 1497. But there are multiple cases where individuals returned to Judaism including Uriel da Costa (c. 1585-1640) the Portuguese philosopher and Catherine Rachel da Costa (1679-1756) whose family fled to London during the Spanish Inquisition. Dacosta Spelling VariationsSpelling variations of this family name include: Da Costa, Costa, Costas, De Costa, De la Costa, Dalla Costa and many more. Early Notables of the Dacosta familyProminent members of the family include Jorge da Costa (1406-1508), a Portuguese Cardinal, was Archbishop of Lisbon (1464-1500) and 108th Archbishop of Braga (1486-1501.)
Catherine Rachel da Costa (1679-1756), née Mendes, was an English miniaturist. She grew up in London and studied painting under Bernard Lens III. Most of her surviving portraits are of family and friends, and there is also a picture of Mary Queen of Scots.
Francesco Costa (1672-1740) was an Italian painter...
Another 74 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dacosta Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Dacosta World RankingIn the United States, the name Dacosta is the 5,006th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Dacosta is ranked the 348th most popular surname with an estimated 11,638 people with that name. 2
 Dacosta migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Dacosta Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Peorine M DaCosta, who landed in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 3
- Bartolome Dacosta, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1858 3
| Dacosta 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: Dacosta Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Mr. Frederick Gomaz Da Costa, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "England" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 22nd September 1865 4
| Dacosta migration to West Indies | + |
The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 5Dacosta Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century- Del Mz DaCosta, who landed in Jamaica in 1740 3
- Isaac Nunez DaCosta, who landed in Jamaica in 1741 3
- Jacob Nunez DaCosta, who landed in Jamaica in 1741 3
- Moses Nunez DaCosta, who landed in Jamaica in 1743 3
- Abraham Nunez DaCosta, who landed in Jamaica in 1743 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Contemporary Notables of the name Dacosta (post 1700) | + |
- Morton DaCosta (1914-1989), American Tony award, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated theatre and film director, film producer, writer, and actor
- Amanda DaCosta (b. 1989), American professional soccer midfielder
- Yaya DaCosta (b. 1982), American actress and fashion model
- Luísa Dacosta (b. 1927), Portuguese writer
- António Dacosta (1914-1990), Portuguese painter and poet
- Alain da Costa Soarès (1935-2023), Gabonese professional football manager
- Noel G. DaCosta (1929-2002), Nigerian-Jamaican composer, jazz violinist, and choral conductor
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
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Dacosta migration to the United States 
Dacosta migration to New Zealand 
Dacosta migration to West Indies 
Italy
Portugal
Spain
