Show ContentsRosa History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Italian name Rosa literally means "rose" (the flower) in English and is popular as a forename and surname. It is most popularly spelt Rosa and De Rosa, but at time the surname it may also be spelt Rosa and De Rosa. The DeRosa and Rosa spellings are frequented in the United States.

Early Origins of the Rosa family

The surname Rosa was first found in Italy, where bearers of Rosa were found since the Middle Ages in many areas of Italy, including Venetia, Emilia and the south. The spelling variations on the name which end in "o" are mostly from the south, whereas those that end in "i" are mostly from the north. The name Rosa, like many Italian surnames began as a personal name long before it was adopted as a surname; the name means "rose."

Early History of the Rosa family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosa research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1320, 1345, 1475, 1584, 1602, 1604, 1607, 1615, 1621, 1643, 1656, 1662, 1673, 1679, 1687 and 1695 are included under the topic Early Rosa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosa Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Rosa, De Rosa, Rosas, Rosi, Di Rosa, La Rosa, Larosa, Roselli, Rosellini, Rosiello, Rosetti, Rosettini, Rosettin, Rosina, Rosini, Rosin, Rosita, Rosoni, Rosone, Roson, Rosani, Rosano, Rosan, Rosanelli, Rosatto and many more.

Early Notables of the Rosa family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Pacecco De Rosa (Giovanni Francesco De Rosa) (1607-1656), an Italian painter, active in Naples. Salvator Rosa (1615-1673), was an Italian Baroque painter, poet and printmaker, active in Naples, Rome a...
  • Diana de Rosa (1602-1643), also known as Annella de Rosa or Annella di Massimo, was a seventeenth-century Neapolitan painter, born in Naples. Tommaso de Rosa (1621-1695) was a Roman Catholic prelate w...

Rosa Ranking

In the United States, the name Rosa is the 865th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rosa is ranked the 1,499th most popular surname with an estimated 3,905 people with that name. 2


Rosa migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rosa Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Pedro de la Rosa, who sailed to Cartagena in 1534
  • Francisco de la Rosa, who sailed to New Spain in 1535
  • Alonso de Rosa, who sailed to Nombre de Dios, Panama in 1538
Rosa Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Albert Rosa, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1721 3
  • Peter Rosa, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1735 3
Rosa Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Julian DeLa Rosa, aged 7, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
  • Domingo Rosa, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 3
  • Pedro DeLa Rosa, who landed in Cartagena in 1834 3
  • Nicolas de la Rosa, who moved to Texas in 1835
  • Nicolas DeLa Rosa, who arrived in Texas in 1835 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rosa (post 1700) +

  • Keno Don Hugo Rosa (b. 1951), American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters, winner of the Eisner Award in 1995
  • Mark Della Rosa, American visual effects artist
  • Benedict D. La Rosa, American politician, Representative from Texas 20th District, 1982 4
  • Stephen De La Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 6th District, 1996 5
  • Roberto De La Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996, 2000 5
  • Mitzyn De la Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2004 5
  • Damian De La Rosa, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Martinez, California, 2006 5
  • Buddy De la Rosa, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Weslaco, Texas, 2010 5
  • Susann Della Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island, 1996 6
  • Kathy De Rosa, American politician, Mayor of Cathedral City, California; Elected 2004 7
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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