Cosme
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "beauty, order, ornament".
Name Census estimates that about 1,019 living Americans carry the first name Cosme. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Cosme today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Cosme births was 2000 (25 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Cosme. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 336,363 Americans
Peak year
2000
25 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,130
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Cosme: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Cosme from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 186 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cosme by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Cosme during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Cosmes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Cosme, while New York, Arizona, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 163 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Cosme
The name Cosme is derived from the Greek name Kosmas, which means "order" or "ornament." It has its roots in the ancient Greek language and culture, dating back to the Classical period.
The earliest known use of the name Cosme can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when it was borne by Saint Cosmas, a Christian martyr who, along with his twin brother Damian, was renowned for his skills in medicine and healing. They were revered as the patron saints of physicians and pharmacists.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cosme gained popularity in parts of Europe, particularly in Spain and Portugal. It was often associated with the cult of Saint Cosmas and was commonly given to children in the hope of invoking the saint's blessings and protection.
One of the earliest recorded individuals to bear the name Cosme was Cosme de' Medici (1389-1464), a powerful Italian banker and statesman from the influential Medici family of Florence. He played a crucial role in the Renaissance and was a renowned patron of the arts.
Another notable figure in history with the name Cosme was Cosme Bueno (1711-1798), a Spanish botanical explorer and naturalist known for his extensive travels and contributions to the study of plants in the Americas.
In the realm of literature, Cosme Pariente (1543-1591) was a Spanish playwright and poet who wrote several comedies and religious works during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
The name Cosme also found its way into the world of art, with Cosme Tura (c. 1430-1495), an Italian Renaissance painter known for his religious works and portraiture.
Moving forward in time, Cosme Velho (1837-1897) was a Brazilian naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Amazon region and contributed significantly to the mapping and exploration of the area.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who have borne the name Cosme, demonstrating its enduring presence across various cultures, time periods, and fields of endeavor.
People
Cosme + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Cosme as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Cosme: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Cosme?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,019 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Cosme going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 336,363 US residents.
Is Cosme a common name?
We classify Cosme as "Rare". It ranks above 90.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,361 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Cosme most popular?
The single biggest year for Cosme was 2000, when 25 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Cosme is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Cosme a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Cosme in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.