Formosa is a surname found in Malta, Spain, Portugal, Spanish colonies and other Mediterranean countries.
The name derives from the Latin name Formosus and the Spanish word fermoso, meaning "beautiful".
Formosa, as the island of Taiwan was formerly known in the West, has the same linguistic origin: from the Portuguese Ilha Formosa ([ˌiʎɐ fuɾˈmɔzɐ]), "beautiful island".
Notable people with the surname include: