A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Da Costa family of England.
Sir Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, London: Harrison & Sons, 1884
Blazon (the actual original written record)“Or, three broken shankbones fesseways in pale gu. the broken parts to the exterior”
The Da Costa arms were recorded in England, c. 1620.
Arms such as these were typically recorded in York.
Yorkshire is the largest of the English counties, and it held more gentry families than any other. Land there was split among a great many households rather than a few, so a great many of them carried arms.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in England in this period.
Reigning in England when the Da Costa arms are first recorded.
English heraldry allowed arms to be shared by all legitimate descendants of the original owner. These symbols were treated as personal property that moved through the generations to all children. While the eldest son kept the original design, other family members could use the same shield without needing to change it or register their own unique versions.
The family name Da Costa originates from the Portuguese and Spanish words for "of the coast," indicating that early ancestors likely lived near the sea or worked as coastal traders. While the name is deeply rooted in the Iberian Peninsula, members of the family were established in York, England, by 1620. During this period, many families with this surname were part of the Sephardic Jewish diaspora, moving across Europe to escape religious persecution and to seek new opportunities in commerce and trade. By settling in northern English cities like York, these early family members integrated into the local merchant class, contributing to the growing international trade networks of the seventeenth century. Their presence in England during this time reflects a broader history of migration and the movement of families across borders in search of stability and professional success.
Derived from the Latin word costa meaning rib or side.
