2000
#6,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,252
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.95
Rare Last name
Dacosta
Portuguese and Galician toponymic surname indicating someone from the coast or shore.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,463 Americans carry the last name Dacosta. That puts it at #4,658 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 40,500 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dacosta 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 Dacosta with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.5K
1 in 40,500
Census rank
#4,658
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,380 bearers of the surname Dacosta in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4658th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacosta, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Hispanic (12.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dacosta
The surname DACOSTA originated in Portugal, where it first emerged in the 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese phrase "da costa," which translates to "from the coast" or "of the coast." This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who resided near the coastline or had some connection to maritime activities.
DACOSTA is a topographic surname, meaning it was derived from a geographic feature or location. In this case, the name likely referred to individuals who lived in coastal regions of Portugal, such as the Algarve or the coastal areas around Lisbon and Porto.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DACOSTA surname can be found in the "Livro de Linhagens" (Book of Lineages), a medieval Portuguese genealogical manuscript dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions several families with the DACOSTA name, indicating that the surname was already established by that time.
During the Age of Discovery, which began in the 15th century, many Portuguese explorers and navigators carried the DACOSTA surname. One notable example is João da Costa, a 15th-century navigator who accompanied Vasco da Gama on his voyage to India in 1497-1499.
Another prominent figure with the DACOSTA surname was José da Costa Pereira Furtado de Mendonça (1738-1808), a Portuguese statesman and diplomat who served as the Secretary of State for the Navy and Overseas Dominions during the reign of King José I.
In the 19th century, Joaquim da Costa (1789-1856), a Portuguese poet and playwright, gained recognition for his works that celebrated the country's national identity and historical achievements.
Afonso da Costa (1871-1937), a Portuguese painter and illustrator, was known for his contributions to the modernist movement in Portuguese art, particularly his depictions of rural life and landscapes.
Miguel da Costa (1932-1994), a Brazilian writer and journalist, was a prominent figure in the literary circles of Brazil, known for his novels and short stories that explored social and political themes.
As the Portuguese Empire expanded, the DACOSTA surname spread to various parts of the world, including Brazil, Africa, and Asia, where Portuguese settlers and colonists established communities. Today, the name can be found in many countries with historical ties to Portugal, reflecting the global reach of Portuguese exploration and colonization.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dacosta
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacosta, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Hispanic (12.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dacosta 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 Dacosta surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.3% · 4,079
- Black or African American24.4% · 1,801
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 887
- Two or more races4.9% · 361
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 243
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dacosta
Dacosta 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
#5,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,679
+1,427 bearers (+27.2%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Up 804 places
2020
#4,658
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,380
+701 bearers (+10.5%)
Per 100,000 2.47
Rank movement Up 566 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,028 | 5,252 | 1.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,224 | 6,679 | 2.26 | +1,427 bearers (+27.2%) | Up 804 places |
| 2020 | #4,658 | 7,380 | 2.47 | +701 bearers (+10.5%) | Up 566 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 Dacosta 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 | #5,224 | #4,658 | 10.8% |
| Count | 6,679 | 7,380 | 10.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.26 | 2.47 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dacosta bearers went from 6,679 to 7,380 (+10.5% change). The surname moved up 566 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,224 to #4,658.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dacosta
FAQ
Dacosta surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dacosta?
Name Census estimates that about 8,463 living Americans carry the surname Dacosta. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 40,500 residents.
How common is Dacosta?
Dacosta ranks #4,658 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.47 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,380 people with the surname Dacosta. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,463), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.47 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Dacosta.
Has Dacosta become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dacosta went from 6,679 recorded bearers to 7,380. That is an increase of 701 (+10.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,224 to #4,658.
What does the Census say about the background of Dacosta?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dacosta, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.3%. The next largest groups are Black (24.4%) and Hispanic (12.0%). 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 Dacosta in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.3% (4,079 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dacosta appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.3%), Black (24.4%), Hispanic (12.0%). 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 Dacosta (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 Dacosta mean?
Portuguese and Galician toponymic surname indicating someone from the coast or shore. 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 Dacosta (2.47 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 people are called Dacosta?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Dacosta on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.