2000
#900
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.06
Uncommon Last name
Costa
A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived on or near a slope, riverbank, or seacoast.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 44,041 Americans carry the last name Costa. That puts it at #890 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 12.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,783 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Costa 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 Costa with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
44K
1 in 7,783
Census rank
#890
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
12.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
38K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 38,406 bearers of the surname Costa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 12.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 890th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Costa, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Costa
The surname Costa is of Italian origin, deriving from the Latin word "costa" meaning "coast" or "side." It is believed to have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to individuals who lived near the coast or on the side of a hill or mountain.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Costa can be traced back to the 12th century in various regions of Italy, including Liguria, Tuscany, and Piedmont. It was particularly prevalent in coastal areas, as well as in towns and villages located along the slopes of mountains or hills.
In the 13th century, the name Costa appeared in the records of the Republic of Genoa, where several families bearing this surname held prominent positions in the city's government and maritime affairs. One notable figure from this period was Luca Costa, a Genoese navigator and explorer who participated in several voyages of discovery along the Mediterranean coasts.
The surname Costa also gained prominence in other parts of Italy during the Renaissance period. In the 15th century, Andrea Costa, a renowned sculptor and architect from Genoa, left a lasting legacy with his works adorning churches and palaces throughout Italy.
In the 16th century, the name Costa appeared in the historical records of the Duchy of Milan, where a branch of the family served as high-ranking officials and diplomats. One such individual was Giovanni Battista Costa, a statesman and diplomat who represented the Duchy in various diplomatic missions across Europe.
As the centuries passed, the surname Costa continued to spread across Italy and beyond. In the 18th century, Giuseppe Costa, a celebrated composer and violinist from Naples, gained recognition for his contributions to the development of the Neapolitan operatic tradition.
Another notable individual bearing the surname Costa was Giacomo Costa, an Italian revolutionary and politician who played a significant role in the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification in the 19th century.
Outside of Italy, the surname Costa can also be found in other countries, such as Spain and Portugal, where it likely originated from Italian immigrants or settlers during the Middle Ages and the Age of Exploration.
In summary, the surname Costa has a rich history rooted in the coastal regions and mountainous landscapes of Italy, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this surname have made their mark in various fields, from navigation and exploration to art, music, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Costa
Among Census respondents with the surname Costa, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Costa 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 Costa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 30,424
- Hispanic or Latino11.8% · 4,546
- Two or more races3.5% · 1,337
- Black or African American2.7% · 1,019
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 949
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 131
Timeline
Historical Census data for Costa
Costa 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
#904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,265
+3,038 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 12.97
Rank movement Down 4 places
2020
#890
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 38,406
+141 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 12.85
Rank movement Up 14 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #900 | 35,227 | 13.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #904 | 38,265 | 12.97 | +3,038 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 4 places |
| 2020 | #890 | 38,406 | 12.85 | +141 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 14 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 Costa 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 | #904 | #890 | 1.5% |
| Count | 38,265 | 38,406 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 12.97 | 12.85 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Costa bearers went from 38,265 to 38,406 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 14 positions in the national ranking, going from #904 to #890.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Costa
FAQ
Costa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Costa?
Name Census estimates that about 44,041 living Americans carry the surname Costa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,783 residents.
How common is Costa?
Costa ranks #890 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 12.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 38,406 people with the surname Costa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (44,041), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 12.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 12.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Costa.
Has Costa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Costa went from 38,265 recorded bearers to 38,406. That is an increase of 141 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #904 to #890.
What does the Census say about the background of Costa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Costa, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.8%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Costa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (30,424 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Costa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Hispanic (11.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Costa (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 Costa mean?
A toponymic surname indicating a person who lived on or near a slope, riverbank, or seacoast. 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 Costa (12.85 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 many Americans have the surname Costa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.