Acosta is a
Spanish and
Portuguese surname. Originally it was used to refer to a person who lived by the seashore or was from the mountains (''encostas''). It comes from the Portuguese da Costa (
cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language.
Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...
of English "coast", literally translates as "of the coast"), which in Spanish became de Acosta; the exact Spanish counterpart of da Costa is "de la Costa". Notable people with the surname include:
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Adolovni Acosta (1946–2024), Filipino classical pianist
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Agustín Acosta (baseball), Cuban baseball player
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Alberto Acosta
Alberto Federico 'Beto' Acosta Tabizzi (born 23 August 1966) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker.
In a professional career which spanned 18 years (nearly 700 official games and more than 250 goals), he pla ...
(born 1966), Argentine footballer
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Rene Alexander Acosta (born 1969), American attorney and United States Secretary of Labor 2017–2019
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Alda Ribiero Acosta (contemporary), American terrorist in Uruguay
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Allan Acosta, American engineer
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Armando Acosta (contemporary), doom metal drummer, former member of the band Saint Vitus
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Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (1895–1954), American aviator who flew in the Spanish Civil War
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Beto Acosta (born 1977), Uruguayan footballer
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Carlos Acosta (born 1973), Cuban ballet dancer
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Cecilio Acosta (1818–1881), Venezuelan writer
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Cristóbal Acosta (1515–1580), Portuguese physician and natural historian
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Ed Acosta (born 1944), Panamanian Major League Baseball pitcher
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Eliades Acosta (born 1959), Cuban politician
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Iván Acosta (born 1964), Nicaraguan politician
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Gael Acosta (born 1992), Mexican footballer
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Jim Acosta (born 1971), CNN senior White House correspondent
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Joaquín Acosta (1800–1852), Colombian explorer and author
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Joe Acosta (1950–2020), Puerto Rican salsa piano player
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José de Acosta (1540–1600), Spanish Jesuit missionary and historian to Latin America
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José Julián Acosta (1825–1891), Puerto Rican journalist and abolitionist
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Josephine Acosta Pasricha (1945–), Filipino Indologist and translator
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Juan F. Acosta (1890–1968), Puerto Rican composer and music teacher
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Julio Acosta García (1872–1954), President of Costa Rica 1920–1924
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Lautaro Acosta (born 1988), Argentine footballer
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Leopoldo Acosta (born 1962), Ecuadorian track and field athlete
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Luciano Acosta (born 1994), Argentine footballer
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Mae Acosta, Filipino singer and
SexBomb Girls
The SexBomb Girls (also known as SB Girls, SBG, SexBomb Dancers, and now SB NewGen) is a Filipino girl group formed by dance guru Joy Cancio in 1999. Known for their novelty music and stage performances, they are credited as one of the leadin ...
member.
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Mathieu d'Acosta (born in 1589), translator & explorer, first recorded black person in Canada
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Manuel Gregorio Acosta (1921–1989), Mexican-American painter
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Manuel da Costa (1541–1604), Portuguese Jesuit priest, teacher, and missionary
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Manny Acosta (born 1981) Panamian baseball player
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Marta Acosta, American fiction writer
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Martha Acosta (contemporary), Peruvian politician and congresswoman
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Mercedes de Acosta
Mercedes de Acosta (March 1, 1892 – May 9, 1968) was an American poet, playwright, and novelist. Although she failed to achieve artistic and professional distinction, de Acosta is known for her many lesbian affairs with celebrated Broadway and ...
(1893–1968), Spanish-American poet, playwright, and designer
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Nelson Acosta (1944–), Uruguayan football player and coach
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Óscar Acosta (1933–2014), Honduran writer, critic, politician and diplomat
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Oscar Zeta Acosta
Oscar "Zeta" Acosta Fierro (; April 8, 1935 – disappeared May 1974) was a Mexican Americans, Mexican American Lawyer, attorney, author and activist in the Chicano Movement. He wrote the semi-autobiographical novels ''Autobiography of a Brown ...
(1935–1974), American attorney, author, politician, and activist
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Pablo Acosta Villarreal, Mexican drug lord
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Pedro Acosta (born 1959), Venezuelan football (soccer) defender
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Pedro Acosta (born 2004), Spanish motorcycle racer
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Persida Acosta, Filipino attorney
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Raúl Acosta (born 1962), Colombian road cyclist
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Rodolfo Acosta (1920–1974), Mexican character actor
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Santiago Acosta (born 1979), Argentine flyweight boxer
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Santos Acosta (1828–1901), President of Colombia 1867–1868
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St. Elmo W. Acosta (1900s), American politician from Jacksonville, Florida
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Teolindo Acosta (1937–2004), Venezuelan professional baseball player
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Tomás Diez Acosta (born 1946), Cuban revolutionary, teacher, and author
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Uriel da Costa (1585–1640), Portuguese philosopher and skeptic
Other
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Acosta (crater), lunar crater named after Cristóbal Acosta
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Acosta Bridge, bridge in Jacksonville, Florida named after St. Elmo W. Acosta
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Acosta (canton)
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Acosta Inc., Sales & Marketing company in Jacksonville, Florida
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''Acosta'' (plant), taxonomic synonym for the genus ''Centaurea''
{{surname
Spanish-language surnames
zh:新浪博客#人物 Acosta