The Costello surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 32,043 people carried this name — #1,093 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,210 people counted. That is up 2% from 31,266 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Costello surname

As an Irish surname, reduced Anglicized form of Irish Mac Oisdealbhaigh (“son of Oisdealbhach”), a personal name composed of the elements os (“deer”) and dealbhach (“resembling, in the form of”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Costello» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Costello’.

His entry covers Costello and Costellow.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 207 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 147 births for the Costello name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 6,500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 67 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 67
Munster 45
Leinster 32
Ulster 3

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 589 people named Costello live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 239
Salta 110
Santa Fe 45
Córdoba 41
Tucumán 38
Catamarca 27
Jujuy 24
Neuquén 23

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

29 people named Costello live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 16
Basel-Stadt 5
St. Gallen 4
Vaud 4

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

35 people named Costello is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 35

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

Costello was recorded 14 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1484th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 22. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Costello in American newspapers,
1878–1914.

Newspaper page from The Daily Intelligencer carrying the name Costello
The Daily Intelligencer 1878-01-30
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Costello
The Salt Lake Herald 1892-11-29
Newspaper page from Evening Public Ledger carrying the name Costello
Evening Public Ledger 1914-12-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Costello in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2010s.

47,725 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Costello. The most, 9,440, date from the 1930s. Queensland has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 17,421
New South Wales 13,244
Victoria 8,365
Western Australia 3,650
South Australia 2,216
Tasmania 2,040
ACT (Canberra) 569
Northern Territory 149

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Costello.

Who carried it

People named Costello,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Costello
    John Costello 1838–1923
  • Peter E. Costello
    Peter E. Costello 1854–1935 · politician
  • Eileen Costello
    Eileen Costello 1870–1962 · politician
  • Edmund Costello
    Edmund Costello 1873–1949 · military personnel
  • Michael Copps Costello
    Michael Copps Costello 1875–1936 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 261 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Costello,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States9,711 records

9,711 records of the Costello name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 2,974
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 2,491
  • Other U.S. records 4,246
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James E. Costello

    Born 1912 in New York. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; sailor from Kings County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria Costello

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Germanic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; servant. From Dublin, Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Lawrence R. Costello

    Born 1941; from Kansas City, Kansas. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 9,711 records for Costello in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia1,819 records

1,819 records of the Costello name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 607
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 430
  • Other Australian records 782
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Catherine Costello

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1855. Married 1855 in Oatlands, Tasmania, aged 22.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Darby Costello

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Surry, arriving 1816; ticket of leave 1832. Native of Kerry Co.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Costello

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Edmond, aged 24; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,819 records for Costello in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada142 records

142 records of the Costello name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 52
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 28
  • Other Canadian records 62
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Costello

    Came to Ontario in 1865 aboard the Caledon, landing at New York, bound for London, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Mark Richard Costello

    Buried in 1986 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 31.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret R. J. Costello

    Died 1941 in Springhill, Cumberland, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 142 records for Costello in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland124 records

124 records of the Costello name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ellen Costello

    Died 1931, aged 82; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Costello

    Died 1969, aged 79; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Willie Costello

    Died 2000, aged 79; buried at Kilgevrin/Liskeavy, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 124 records for Costello in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

New Zealand62 records

62 records of the Costello name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 33
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 26
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Leo Costello

    Died 1987, aged 73; buried at Seddon Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Henry Costello

    Died 1956, aged 68; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Lawrence Costello

    Buried in 1870 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 38.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 62 records for Costello in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom33 records

33 records of the Costello name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 27
  • Stirling Council burial records 4
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Costello

    Buried in 1911 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 63.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ann Costello

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 30.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Costello

    Hertfordshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 33 records for Costello in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands7 records

7 records of the Costello name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 4
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Peter Costello

    Died 1859 in Rotterdam, aged 31.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret Costello

    Died 1957 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 7 records for Costello in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France4 records

4 records of the Costello name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Yvonne Bernadette Costello

    Born 1938 in Great Britain; died 1999 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Sylvestre Michael Costello

    Born 1915 in Ireland; died 1995 in Saint-Michel (Charente).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Costello in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Costello.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Costello is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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