2000
#377
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 76,477
First available Census row
Per 100,000 28.35
Common Last name
Acosta
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "costa," meaning "coast" or "seashore."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120,224 Americans carry the last name Acosta. That puts it at #294 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 35.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,851 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acosta surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Acosta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120K
1 in 2,851
Census rank
#294
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
35.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104,841 bearers of the surname Acosta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 35.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 294th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acosta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acosta
The surname Acosta originated in Spain and is derived from the Spanish word "costa," meaning "coast" or "shore." It is believed to have been an occupational surname given to those who lived near the coast or worked in maritime professions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Acosta can be found in the 14th century in the region of Galicia, Spain. The surname is thought to have first appeared in the city of A Coruña, which was previously known as "La Coruña," meaning "the coast" in Spanish.
In the 15th century, the name Acosta is mentioned in various historical records, such as the Libro de Repartimiento de Seville, which documented the distribution of land and property after the Reconquista. This suggests that individuals bearing the surname were present in the region during this time.
The Acosta family played a significant role in the colonization of the Americas during the 16th century. José de Acosta (1539-1600), a Spanish Jesuit missionary and naturalist, is known for his work "Historia natural y moral de las Indias," which provided detailed accounts of the flora, fauna, and indigenous cultures of the Americas.
Another notable figure with the surname Acosta is Uriel Acosta (1585-1647), a Portuguese-Jewish philosopher and writer who was excommunicated for his beliefs and lived in exile. He is considered an important figure in the history of free thought and religious dissent.
In the 18th century, Manuel Acosta y Lozano (1716-1797) was a Spanish military engineer and cartographer who played a crucial role in mapping the territories of New Spain (Mexico) and contributing to the development of cartography in the Americas.
Juan Bautista Acosta (1828-1905) was a Venezuelan politician and writer who served as the President of Venezuela from 1888 to 1892. He is remembered for his efforts to promote education and infrastructure development in the country.
Another prominent figure with the surname Acosta is the American author and poet Mercedes de Acosta (1893-1968), known for her relationships with prominent figures such as Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, as well as her literary works exploring themes of sexuality and gender identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acosta
Among Census respondents with the surname Acosta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Acosta bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Acosta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.3% · 93,571
- White6.5% · 6,827
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 2,709
- Black or African American0.7% · 766
- Two or more races0.6% · 652
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 316
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acosta
Acosta appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103,418
+26,941 bearers (+35.2%)
Per 100,000 35.06
Rank movement Up 75 places
2020
#294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104,841
+1,423 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 35.08
Rank movement Up 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #377 | 76,477 | 28.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #302 | 103,418 | 35.06 | +26,941 bearers (+35.2%) | Up 75 places |
| 2020 | #294 | 104,841 | 35.08 | +1,423 bearers (+1.4%) | Up 8 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Acosta surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #302 | #294 | 2.6% |
| Count | 103,418 | 104,841 | 1.4% |
| Per 100K | 35.06 | 35.08 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acosta bearers went from 103,418 to 104,841 (+1.4% change). The surname moved up 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #302 to #294.
FAQ
Acosta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acosta?
Name Census estimates that about 120,224 living Americans carry the surname Acosta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,851 residents.
How common is Acosta?
Acosta ranks #294 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 35.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 35 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104,841 people with the surname Acosta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120,224), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 35.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 35.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 35 of them to have the surname Acosta.
Has Acosta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acosta went from 103,418 recorded bearers to 104,841. That is an increase of 1,423 (+1.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #302 to #294.
What does the Census say about the background of Acosta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acosta, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.3%. The next largest groups are White (6.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Acosta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (93,571 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acosta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.3%), White (6.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Acosta (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Acosta mean?
A surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, derived from the word "costa," meaning "coast" or "seashore." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Acosta (35.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Acosta?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Acosta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.