Explore the Family Name Da Costa
The meaning of Da Costa
1. Portuguese and Galician (also Dacosta): variant of Costa, with the addition of da, a shortened form of the preposition de ‘from’ and the feminine definite article a ‘the’. Compare D’Costa. 2. Jewish (Sephardic): adoption of the Portuguese surname (see 1 above) at the moment of conversion to Roman Catholicism. After the return to Judaism (generations later), some descendants retained the name their families used as Catholics. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jose, Manuel, Carlos, Francisco, Fernando, Alfredo, Jorge, Luis, Mario, Luiz, Ricardo, Alfonso. Portuguese Joao, Joaquim, Marcio, Afonso, Agostinho, Albano, Conceicao, Fernandes, Henrique, Manoel, Martinho, Paulo.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Da Costa in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Da Costa has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 6028th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had climbed to the 5224th rank, marking a 13.34 percent change. The count of individuals with this surname also grew from 5252 in 2000 to 6679 in 2010, an increase of 27.17 percent. This means that for every 100,000 people, the proportion who carried the Da Costa surname rose from 1.95 to 2.26 during this decade, a rise of 15.9 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,028 | #5,224 | 13.34% |
| Count | 5,252 | 6,679 | 27.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.95 | 2.26 | 15.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Da Costa
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Da Costa. In 2010, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, with a percentage of 59.66, up from 57.24 in 2000. The next largest groups were those identifying as Black (23.94 percent in 2010, up from 21.55 percent in 2000) and Hispanic (10.15 percent in 2010, a slight increase from 10.00 percent in 2000). Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native were relatively small, with percentages of 3.02 and 0.18 respectively in 2010, both from zero in 2000. The group identifying as belonging to two or more races saw a decrease from 9.29 percent in 2000 to 3.04 percent in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 57.24% | 59.66% | 4.23% |
| Black | 21.55% | 23.94% | 11.09% |
| Hispanic | 10% | 10.15% | 1.5% |
| Two or More Races | 9.29% | 3.04% | -67.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 3.02% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.18% | 0% |