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

Costea, 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 Costea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Costea in America

Costea is the 53667th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Costea surname appeared 385 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Costea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Costea 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 Costea

The surname Costea is of Romanian origin and has its roots in the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Romanian word "coasta," which means "hill" or "slope." This suggests that the name may have been given to people who lived on or near hills or slopes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Costea can be found in the 15th century, in the historical region of Wallachia, which is now part of modern-day Romania. The name appears in several legal documents and land registries from that time period, indicating that families with this surname were landowners or had some connection to the land.

In the 16th century, the Costea family became more prominent, with several members holding important positions within the local administration and religious institutions. One notable figure was Mihai Costea, a priest and scholar born in 1525, who authored several theological works and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Wallachia during that era.

As the centuries passed, the Costea name spread to other regions of Romania and even beyond its borders. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Moldavian region, where they established themselves as successful merchants and landowners. One prominent member of this branch was Gheorghe Costea, born in 1745, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Principality of Moldavia.

Moving into the 19th century, the Costea name gained further recognition through the works of Ioan Costea, a celebrated Romanian poet and writer born in 1823. His literary contributions, which explored themes of national identity and cultural heritage, played a significant role in the Romanian literary renaissance of that period.

Another notable figure from this era was Alexandru Costea, born in 1878, a Romanian general who served in World War I and played a crucial role in the unification of Transylvania with Romania after the war. His military achievements and contributions to the nation's territorial integrity earned him a place in the annals of Romanian history.

Throughout the centuries, the Costea surname has been associated with various place names and variations in spelling, such as Costescu, Costache, and Costachin, reflecting the linguistic and regional diversity within Romania. However, the core meaning and origin of the name have remained intact, forever linked to the hills and slopes that defined the lives of its earliest bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Costea

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

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 Costea 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 Costea 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 Costea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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