Rosa
A surname with multiple origins, most often from the Latin word for a rose or from a place-name using that word.
The #1,035 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 9,211 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Rosa is a widespread surname element ultimately tied to Latin rosa, meaning “rose.” In some cases it began as a nickname or ornamental name referring to the flower, while in others it comes from place-names built from the same word. In Romance-language areas it can also be linked to inherited family names formed directly from a personal name or from a house sign called “the rose.”
History
The surname appears in medieval records in several forms and countries, so it does not have a single universal origin. The excerpts show it used in England in the Middle Ages, including forms such as de Rosa and Rosa de Kyme, suggesting at least some bearers took the name from a place or from continental influence. Later it became common more broadly across southern Europe and the Americas, where it may reflect Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese family naming traditions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Latin rosa became such a productive surname element, the same basic root can produce both simple surnames like Rosa and compounds such as Rosenbaum (“rose tree”) in German.
From the historical record
“[Fr. plante, he plants; f. Lat. planta, a plant -j- Fr. rose, Lat. rosa, a rose] John Plaunterose. — Hund. Rolls. An analagous French name is Plantevig- neS| for a vine-grower.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Rosa
- Salvator Rosa (1615–1673)
- Don Rosa (b. 1951)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.