Acosta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Portugal
Spain

The name Acosta 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 Acosta family

The surname Acosta 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 Acosta 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.

Acosta Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Da Costa, Costa, Costas, De Costa, De la Costa, Dalla Costa and many more.

Early Notables of the Acosta family

Prominent members of the family include

Francesco Costa (1672-1740) was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, active mainly in his Native Genoa. Joan d'Acosta ( c. 1665- c. 1740) was a Jewish jester at the court of Czar Peter the G...

Acosta Ranking

In the United States, the name Acosta is the 519^th most popular surname with an estimated 54,714 people with that name. 1 However, in South America, the name Acosta is ranked the 42^nd most popular surname with an estimated 93 people with that name. 2

Acosta migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Acosta Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Enrique de Acosta, who immigrated to America in 1527
Gonzalo de Acosta, a conquistador who voyaged with Diego García de Moguer and Sebastian Cabot to the Río de la Plata in 1527
Juan de Acosta, went to Florida in 1538
Magdalena de Acosta, went to Peru in 1592
Gerónimo de Acosta and his wife Juana de León, to Peru in 1593

Acosta Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Juan de Acosta, who assisted Pizarro in the conquest of Peru
Rosa Acosta, settled in New Orleans in 1821
Rosa Acosta, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1821 3
F. Acosta, aged 26, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1826 3
Federico Acosta, went to New Orleans in 1826
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Acosta Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Adela Acosta, aged 35, who settled in America from Maiquetia, Venezuela, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Acosta (post 1700) +

Rene Alexander "Alex" Acosta (b. 1969), American attorney, academic, and politician, 27th United States Secretary of Labor (2017-)
Rolando T. Acosta, American politician, Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District;Elected 2002 4
Robert Acosta, American Republican politician, Candidate for Virgin Islands legislature from St. Croix, 2002 4
Raymond L. Acosta (b. 1925), American politician, U.S. District Judge for Puerto Rico, 1982-94 4
R. Alexander Acosta, American Republican politician, Member, National Labor Relations Board, 2002-03 4
Patricia Acosta, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2000, 2004 4
Lynette Acosta, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Florida, 2012 4
Luis O. Acosta, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Superior, Arizona, 1964-67 (acting, 1964-65) 4
Guillermo Acosta, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 17th District, 2006 4
Carmen Acosta, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2004 4
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"List of most common surnames in South America." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames_in_South_America
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html