Find out how popular the last name Acosta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Acosta.

Acosta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Acosta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Acosta in America

Acosta is the 302nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Acosta surname appeared 103,418 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 35 people would have the surname Acosta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Acosta to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Acosta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Acosta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Acosta was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Acosta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Acosta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Acosta, please contact us.

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