Show ContentsRosa History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Rosa

What does the name Rosa mean?

Noble surnames, such as Rosa, evoke images of the ancient homeland of the Spanish people. The original bearer of the name Rosa, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. In Spain, hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules and during the late Middle Ages, names that were derived from localities became increasingly widespread. Local names originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. The Rosa family originally lived in a place where wild roses grew. The surname is derived from the Latin word rosa, which means rose. The family name Rosa is also derived from the given name Rose.

Early Origins of the Rosa family

The surname Rosa was first found in Old Castile, in the mountains near Santander.

Early History of the Rosa family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rosa research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1352 is included under the topic Early Rosa History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rosa Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ros, de Ros, Rosas, de Rosas, Rosa, de la Rosa, Rosal, del Rosal, Rosales, de Rosales, Rosete, Rosano, Rosana, Roso and many more.

Early Notables of the Rosa family

Prominent among members of the family

  • were seventeenth century Chilean historian Diego de Rosales, a Jesuit priest who defended the rights of the Indians
  • nineteenth century Argentinian military officer Leonardo Rosales
  • nineteenth century Spanish painter Eduardo Rosales y Martínez
  • nineteenth century Argentinian politician Juan Manuel de Rosas
  • nineteenth century Mexican composer Juventino Rosas
  • nineteenth century Mexican poet José Rosas Moreno
  • nineteenth century Philippine artist Fabián de la Rosa

Rosa Ranking

In the United States, the name Rosa is the 865th most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Rosa is ranked the 1,499th most popular surname with an estimated 3,905 people with that name. 2


Rosa migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rosa Settlers in United States in the 16th Century
  • Pedro de la Rosa, who sailed to Cartagena in 1534
  • Francisco de la Rosa, who sailed to New Spain in 1535
  • Alonso de Rosa, who sailed to Nombre de Dios, Panama in 1538
Rosa Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Albert Rosa, aged 46, who landed in New York in 1721 3
  • Peter Rosa, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1735 3
Rosa Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Julian DeLa Rosa, aged 7, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 3
  • Domingo Rosa, aged 35, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1831 3
  • Pedro DeLa Rosa, who landed in Cartagena in 1834 3
  • Nicolas de la Rosa, who moved to Texas in 1835
  • Nicolas DeLa Rosa, who arrived in Texas in 1835 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rosa (post 1700) +

  • Keno Don Hugo Rosa (b. 1951), American comic book writer and illustrator known for his stories about Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and other Disney characters, winner of the Eisner Award in 1995
  • Mark Della Rosa, American visual effects artist
  • Benedict D. La Rosa, American politician, Representative from Texas 20th District, 1982 4
  • Stephen De La Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 6th District, 1996 5
  • Roberto De La Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1996, 2000 5
  • Mitzyn De la Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 2004 5
  • Damian De La Rosa, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Martinez, California, 2006 5
  • Buddy De la Rosa, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Weslaco, Texas, 2010 5
  • Susann Della Rosa, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Rhode Island, 1996 6
  • Kathy De Rosa, American politician, Mayor of Cathedral City, California; Elected 2004 7
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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