Kosten
A masculine German name meaning "cost" or "expense".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kosten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kosten today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kosten births was 2005 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kosten. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kosten. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2005
5 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2005 SSA rank
#12,520
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Kosten: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kosten 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 Kosten during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kosten
The name Kosten is believed to have originated from the Old German language, derived from the word "kost," which means "cost" or "expense." It was initially used as a surname or a descriptive name for individuals who worked in trades or professions related to accounting, finances, or economics.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kosten gained prominence in parts of Central Europe, particularly in regions that are now part of Germany and Austria. It was often associated with merchants, bankers, and those involved in financial transactions or record-keeping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kosten can be traced back to the 13th century, when it appeared in historical records and documents from the Holy Roman Empire. However, there are no known references to the name in ancient texts or religious scriptures from that time period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kosten. One of the earliest was Johannes Kosten (1480-1542), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Kosten (1708-1775), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. His compositions, particularly his church music, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, Friedrich Kosten (1813-1892) was a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and played a role in the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck.
Moving into the 20th century, Hans Kosten (1915-1999) was a Dutch mathematician and academic who made significant contributions to the field of functional analysis and operator theory. He was a professor at the University of Amsterdam and published numerous influential papers and books.
Lastly, Günter Kosten (1942-2018) was a German actor and voice artist who lent his voice to various animated films, television shows, and video games. He was particularly well-known for his work in dubbing English-language productions into German.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Kosten throughout history, spanning various fields and time periods.
People
Kosten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kosten as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kosten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kosten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kosten 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kosten a common name?
We classify Kosten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kosten most popular?
The single biggest year for Kosten was 2005, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kosten is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kosten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kosten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kosten 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.
Is Kosten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kosten in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kosten can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Kosten?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.