Explore the Family Name Cosse
The meaning of Cosse
1. Probably an altered form of Breton Le Cossec: metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of spools, derived from kos, coss ‘reel, spool’; or, alternatively, a nickname from a homonymous word meaning ‘weevil’. This predominantly LA surname (in this sense or perhaps in the sense 2 below) is also found among African Americans. 2. French (Cossé): habitational name from Cossé-d’Anjou in Maine-et-Loire, Cossé-en-Champagne, or Cossé-le-Vivien in Mayenne, all of which are named with the Gallo-Roman personal name Cocceius + the locative suffix -acum. 3. French: from cosse ‘pod’, probably a nickname or perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of peas and similar vegetables. Compare Lacosse 2. 4. Dutch and German: variant of Kosse. 5. American (shortened and) altered form of an unidentified Greek surname, most likely Costas or some other surname beginning with Cost-. History: The majority of the American bearers of the surname Cosse trace their origin to Jean-Fleurant Cosse or Cossé (originally presumably Le Cossec) from Brittany, who was in LA by 1733. Some characteristic forenames: French Francois, Jacques, Jean-Paul, Stephane. Greek Spiro.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cosse in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Cosse has seen a slight decline in popularity between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 55,003rd in 2000, it slid to 55,619th in 2010, marking a decrease of 1.12%. Despite this, the count of people bearing the surname increased from 350 to 369 during this period, indicating a growth of 5.43%. The proportion per 100k remained consistent at 0.13.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #55,003 | #55,619 | -1.12% |
| Count | 350 | 369 | 5.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.13 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cosse
Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cosse in the same time frame, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts. The percentage of individuals identifying as White increased from 64.57% in 2000 to 67.75% in 2010, while those identifying as Hispanic saw a rise of 9.70%, from 3.71% to 4.07%. However, the percentage of individuals identifying as Black decreased slightly from 28.86% to 27.64%. Interestingly, there were no individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or as belonging to two or more races in either year. Notably, the percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped completely from 1.43% in 2000 to 0% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 64.57% | 67.75% | 4.92% |
| Black | 28.86% | 27.64% | -4.23% |
| Hispanic | 3.71% | 4.07% | 9.7% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.43% | 0% | -100% |