NameCensus.

UK surname

Koster

A Dutch occupational surname referring to a sexton or church custodian.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Koster surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, up from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and St Dunstan Stepney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Solihull, Colchester and Haringey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Koster is 228 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 157.0%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

2013

228 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Koster had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 156 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Koster surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Koster surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Koster 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 123 #20,248
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 190 #18,199
1998 modern 211 #17,532
1999 modern 215 #17,425
2000 modern 218 #17,246
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 217 #17,388
2003 modern 219 #17,085
2004 modern 220 #17,129
2005 modern 203 #17,961
2006 modern 201 #18,226
2007 modern 208 #18,013
2008 modern 212 #17,950
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 224 #18,047
2011 modern 217 #18,271
2012 modern 218 #18,139
2013 modern 228 #17,864
2014 modern 225 #18,142
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Kosters are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, St Dunstan Stepney and St Leonard Bromley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Solihull, Colchester, Haringey, East Riding of Yorkshire and Waverley. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)
5 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Solihull 025 Solihull
2 Colchester 020 Colchester
3 Haringey 017 Haringey
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 011 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Waverley 007 Waverley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Koster

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Koster

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Koster, 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 Koster surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Koster 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Koster is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Koster is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Koster 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 Koster 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 Koster, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Koster

The surname Koster is of Dutch origin, originating from the Low Countries region of northwestern Europe in the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word 'koster', which means 'sexton' or 'parish clerk'. The name was initially given to individuals who held this occupation, responsible for maintaining church buildings and ringing the bells.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Koster can be found in the Dutch records of the city of Leiden in the late 1500s. A certain Jan Koster was listed as a resident of the city during this time period. Another early record comes from the Dutch province of Friesland, where a Pieter Koster was documented in the town of Harlingen in the early 1600s.

The surname Koster has also been associated with various place names in the Netherlands, such as Kosterswolde and Kosterburen, suggesting that some individuals may have adopted the name based on their place of residence or origin.

A notable individual with the surname Koster was Laurens Janszoon Koster, who lived in the Dutch town of Haarlem from around 1420 to 1440. He is often credited as one of the earliest pioneers of movable type printing in Europe, predating Johannes Gutenberg.

Another prominent figure was Samuel Koster, a Dutch naval officer and explorer who lived from 1579 to 1668. He made significant contributions to the exploration and mapping of the West Indies and South America during his time with the Dutch West India Company.

In the realm of art, Jan Koster (1644-1718) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still life paintings and portraits. He spent most of his career in the city of Amsterdam.

Moving into the 19th century, Theodoor Koster (1818-1892) was a Dutch theologian and writer who served as a pastor in the Netherlands Reformed Church. He authored several works on religious subjects and was also involved in the translation of the Bible into Dutch.

Lastly, Cornelis Koster (1892-1953) was a Dutch architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction and development of Rotterdam after World War II. His designs for residential neighborhoods and public buildings helped shape the modern cityscape of Rotterdam in the post-war era.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Koster families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Koster 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. Middlesex leads with 67 Kosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.89x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 67 7.89x
Surrey 9 2.18x
Berkshire 3 4.71x
Lancashire 2 0.20x
Durham 1 0.40x
Essex 1 0.60x
Fife 1 1.99x
Glamorgan 1 0.68x
Kent 1 0.35x
Sussex 1 0.70x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bromley London in Middlesex leads with 14 Kosters recorded in 1881 and an index of 74.99x.

Place Total Index
Bromley London 14 74.99x
Mile End Old Town London 12 66.45x
Hackney London 10 21.02x
St George In East London 10 125.31x
St Botolph Aldersgate 8 824.74x
Whitechapel London 5 59.74x
Battersea 4 12.81x
Camberwell 4 7.38x
Bow London 3 27.78x
Liverpool 2 3.27x
Reading St Mary 2 39.22x
Westminster St John 2 19.34x
Cardiff St Mary 1 12.29x
Darlington 1 10.26x
Eastbourne 1 15.20x
Forgan 1 104.17x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 384.62x
Hornsey 1 9.32x
Reading St Giles 1 16.00x
Rotherhithe 1 9.53x
St Luke London 1 7.35x
Tottenham 1 7.40x
Woolwich 1 9.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Alice 3
Ellen 3
Ann 2
Anne 2
Elizabeth 2
Emma 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elisabet 1
Eliza 1
Elizath. 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Margaret 1
Margreta 1
Mary 1
Rachel 1
Rose 1
Theadore 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Henry 6
John 5
William 4
Diedrich 2
Diedrick 2
Edward 2
Harry 2
James 2
Abraham 1
Arthur 1
Ben 1
Brin 1
Carl 1
Charles 1
Chas. 1
Christian 1
Cord 1
Ernest 1
Eugene 1
Fred. 1
Fredinck 1
Friedrick 1
George 1
Gerard 1
Johann 1
Luer 1
Willie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Koster surname: questions and answers

How common was the Koster surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Koster surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Koster surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Koster a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Koster surname mean?

A Dutch occupational surname referring to a sexton or church custodian.

What does the Koster map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Koster 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.