NameCensus.

UK surname

Coss

A metonymic occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a coastal headland or promontory.

In the 1881 census there were 82 people recorded with the Coss surname, ranking it #21,957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 199, ranked #19,653, up from #21,957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Talland (incl. Looe Island), Kidderminster and Nuneaton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dudley, Cotswold and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coss is 242 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 142.7%.

1881 census count

82

Ranked #21,957

Modern count

199

2016, ranked #19,653

Peak year

2000

242 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coss had 82 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016, ranked #19,653.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Coss surname distribution map

The map shows where the Coss surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Coss surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coss over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 122 #14,966
1861 historical 237 #10,359
1881 historical 82 #21,957
1891 historical 166 #17,077
1901 historical 190 #15,634
1911 historical 143 #18,401
1997 modern 222 #16,508
1998 modern 221 #17,021
1999 modern 237 #16,360
2000 modern 242 #16,101
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 234 #16,343
2004 modern 211 #17,590
2005 modern 211 #17,520
2006 modern 225 #16,941
2007 modern 226 #17,103
2008 modern 227 #17,196
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 211 #18,774
2011 modern 207 #18,841
2012 modern 209 #18,659
2013 modern 207 #19,093
2014 modern 208 #19,194
2015 modern 198 #19,714
2016 modern 199 #19,653

Geography

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Where Coss' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Talland (incl. Looe Island), Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Bradford and Plymouth St Charles the Martyr. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dudley, Cotswold, Scarborough, Mansfield and Woking. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Talland (incl. Looe Island) Cornwall
2 Kidderminster Worcestershire
3 Nuneaton Warwickshire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Plymouth St Charles the Martyr Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dudley 031 Dudley
2 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
3 Scarborough 009 Scarborough
4 Mansfield 013 Mansfield
5 Woking 005 Woking

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coss

These lists show first names that appear often with the Coss surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coss

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coss, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Coss surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Coss household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coss is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coss is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coss falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coss is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Coss, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coss

The surname Coss has its origin in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Kotz," which means a small farmhouse or cottage. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational name for someone who lived in a small farmhouse or cottage.

One of the earliest known references to the name Coss can be found in the church records of Hesse, Germany, from the mid-16th century. These records mention a family by the name of Coss residing in the village of Neukirchen.

The name Coss is also found in various other regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony, with slight variations in spelling, like Koss or Koz. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

An early recorded bearer of the name Coss was Hans Coss, a farmer from the town of Hameln in Lower Saxony, who lived in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Johann Coss, a Lutheran pastor from Saxony, who lived in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the name Coss appeared in the United States, likely brought by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Coss, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 from the Palatinate region of Germany.

Notable individuals with the surname Coss include Johann Baptist Coss (1754-1828), a German composer and organist, and Wilhelm Coss (1832-1913), a German-American artist and lithographer who settled in New York City.

Other historical figures bearing the name Coss include Gottfried Coss, a German theologian from Saxony in the late 17th century, and Johann Georg Coss, a German military officer who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century.

Overall, the surname Coss has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins deeply rooted in the German language and culture. While the name may have initially been an occupational descriptor, it has since become a distinctive family name carried by individuals from various walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coss families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coss surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Worcestershire leads with 19 Coss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.19x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 19 18.19x
Devon 11 6.61x
Fife 10 21.12x
Lancashire 10 1.05x
Cornwall 7 7.73x
Middlesex 6 0.75x
Warwickshire 5 2.48x
Yorkshire 5 0.63x
Dorset 2 3.81x
Durham 2 0.84x
Cumberland 1 1.45x
Glamorgan 1 0.72x
Gloucestershire 1 0.64x
Kent 1 0.37x
Lanarkshire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ferry Port On Craig in Fife leads with 10 Coss' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1282.05x.

Place Total Index
Ferry Port On Craig 10 1282.05x
Clent 9 3333.33x
Plymouth Charles The 8 108.99x
Ashton Under Lyne 5 24.11x
Blackburn 5 19.80x
Liversedge 5 141.64x
Nuneaton 4 170.94x
Stourbridge 4 148.70x
Kidderminster Borough 3 49.10x
Truro St Mary 3 394.74x
West Looe 3 1250.00x
Bow London 2 19.65x
Darlington 2 21.76x
Hackney London 2 4.46x
Hartlebury 2 322.58x
Tavistock 2 105.26x
West Knighton 2 2222.22x
Ansley 1 434.78x
Bootle 1 454.55x
Cambusnethan 1 17.39x
Cheltenham 1 8.26x
Devonport 1 52.36x
Maidstone 1 12.30x
Redruth 1 39.06x
South Mimms 1 90.91x
St George Martyr London 1 61.73x
Upper Mitton 1 434.78x
Ystradyfodwg 1 8.18x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Coss surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 6
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Rosetta 2
Elisth. 1
Elizabeth 1
Elizth.J. 1
Ellen 1
Florence 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Coss surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Coss surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coss surname in 1881?

In 1881, 82 people were recorded with the Coss surname. That placed it at #21,957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coss surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 199 in 2016. That gives Coss a modern rank of #19,653.

What does the Coss surname mean?

A metonymic occupational surname for someone who lived near or worked at a coastal headland or promontory.

What does the Coss map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Coss bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.