Show ContentsDekosta History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Portugal
Dekosta Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Dekosta

What does the name Dekosta mean?

The name Dekosta 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," as in "closer to the shore." 1 Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Latin word "costa," meaning "rib".

Early Origins of the Dekosta family

The surname Dekosta 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 Dekosta 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.

Early History of the Dekosta family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dekosta research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1406, 1464, 1478, 1486, 1500, 1501, 1508, 1541, 1585, 1604, 1640, 1665, 1672, 1679, 1740 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Dekosta History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dekosta 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 Dekosta family

Manuel da Costa (1541-1604), a Portuguese Jesuit and bibliographer from Lisbon. After teaching humanities and theology at several schools, he was chosen rector of Braga, then missionary to the Azores. Catherine Rachel da Costa (1679-1756), née Mendes, 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 of...
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dekosta Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print

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