Explore the Family Name Cousin
The meaning of Cousin
1. French: nickname from Old French cusin, cosin ‘first cousin’, from Latin consobrinus, used (also) in the sense ‘friend, crony’. Compare with 2. 2. English: nickname from Middle English cusin, cosin ‘kinsman or cousin’, a borrowing from Old French (see 1 above). The surname would thus have denoted a person related in some way to a prominent figure in the neighborhood. In some cases it may also have been a nickname for someone who used the term cousin frequently as a familiar term of address. Some characteristic forenames: French Jacques, Emile, Jeanpaul, Serge.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cousin in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cousin has experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 10,018 in terms of prevalence, but dropped to 10,292 by 2010, indicating a 2.74% decrease. However, the actual count of individuals with the surname Cousin increased by 5.49%, from 2,968 in 2000 to 3,131 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with this surname per 100k also saw a marginal decrease of 3.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,018 | #10,292 | -2.74% |
| Count | 2,968 | 3,131 | 5.49% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.1 | 1.06 | -3.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cousin
Regarding its ethnic identity distribution, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts over the decade. The largest group identifying as Black remained relatively stable at around 61%. However, there were notable increases among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (increasing by about 51%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (increasing by approximately 54%). The number of Hispanic individuals also significantly increased, rising by 64.20%. On the other hand, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of people identifying as White, falling by 6.26%, and those identifying with two or more races, decreasing by 2.90%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 61.39% | 61.42% | 0.05% |
| White | 31.17% | 29.22% | -6.26% |
| Two or More Races | 4.14% | 4.02% | -2.9% |
| Hispanic | 2.43% | 3.99% | 64.2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.77% | 50.98% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.37% | 0.57% | 54.05% |