Explore the Family Name Formosa
The meaning of Formosa
1. Italian and Maltese: from Italian formoso ‘well-formed, shapely, beautiful’ (from Latin formosus). 2. Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan: habitational name from a place called Formosa, from formoso ‘beautiful’. Compare Formoso. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Carmelo, Sal, Saverio, Ugo. Spanish Carmella, Jose, Joselito.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Formosa in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Formosa has slightly decreased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 41,060th in terms of popularity and by 2010, it had dropped to 41,234th. The number of people carrying this surname, however, increased from 501 to 528 within the same period. Nevertheless, the proportion per 100,000 population decreased by 5.26%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #41,060 | #41,234 | -0.42% |
| Count | 501 | 528 | 5.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.18 | -5.26% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Formosa
The Decennial U.S. Census provides interesting insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname. In 2000, a dominant 89.82% identified as White, which slightly dipped to 89.20% in 2010. There was also a small percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, which saw changes of 14.00% and 21.07% respectively. Those identifying with two or more ethnicities decreased by 25.45% over the ten years. No one with the surname Formosa identified as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either the 2000 or 2010 census.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.82% | 89.2% | -0.69% |
| Hispanic | 5.79% | 7.01% | 21.07% |
| Two or More Races | 2.79% | 2.08% | -25.45% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1% | 1.14% | 14% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |