Costello (surname)


Costello is an Irish surname.

History

The surname has been mainly borne by a notable Irish family who claimed descent from Jocelyn de Angulo, an Anglo-Norman mercenary who accompanied Richard de Clare to Ireland in 1170. Pope Adrian IV, the first English pope, in one of his earliest acts, had already issued a Papal Bull in 1155, giving Henry II authority to invade Ireland to bring the Irish Church into conformity with Roman practice.
The family first appears on record in Ireland in 1193, when the Annals of the Four Masters state: Inis Clothrann do orgain la macaibh Oisdealb, & la macaibh Conchobhair Maonmaighe.
Oistealb or Osdealv was the Gaelic rendering of Hostilo. The Irish name Oisdealbh is sometimes erroneously attributed to a Gaelic translation of Jocelyn, Jocelyn d'Angulo's given name. In fact, MacOisdealbhaigh is the Gaelic translation of his brother Hostilo d'Angulo's first name. Oisdealbh is a much more obvious translation of Hostilo. It is Hostilo's descendants who would bear the surname Mac Oisdealbhaigh. The surname would later be anglicized to Costello, Costelloe, and Costellow. Gilbert d'Angulo is also sometimes listed as the son of Jocelyn d'Angulo in error. Gilbert d'Angulo is the father of both Jocelyn and Hostilo.
According to the Ellis Island official passenger search, some people came from Italy and Spain to the U. S. as Costello.
It occasionally has been adopted as a pseudonym or stage name by famous people of Italian descent, including Al Costello, Frank Costello, and Lou Costello. It is also an Italian verb form of : to adorn with stars.

People