2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cosart
A locational French surname derived from a place name, likely indicating an origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Cosart. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cosart surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Cosart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosart, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cosart
The surname COSART is believed to have originated from the Norman French language, specifically from the area of Normandy in northern France. Its earliest known roots can be traced back to the 11th century during the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
One of the earliest recorded references to the COSART surname appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and estates compiled for King William I in 1086. The name is thought to have derived from the Old French words "cos" meaning "hill" or "slope" and "art" meaning "bear," potentially referring to an occupation or location associated with a hillside inhabited by bears.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Richard COSART (c. 1220-1285) was recorded as a landowner and knight in the county of Somerset, England. Another early documented instance of the COSART name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1297, which mention a John COSART as a taxpayer in the region.
During the 14th century, a branch of the COSART family settled in the village of Cosart, near Dieppe in the Normandy region of France. This village likely took its name from the family, further solidifying the connection between the surname and its Norman origins.
In the 16th century, a prominent individual named William COSART (1525-1592) was a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London. He is noted for his contributions to the construction of the Royal Exchange, a renowned commercial center in the heart of London.
Another notable figure with the COSART surname was Sir Robert COSART (1620-1678), a distinguished military commander who served under Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. He played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645, and was later appointed as the Governor of Jersey.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the COSART surname have emerged, such as Cossart, Cosart, and Cozart, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic evolution. Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the name remain rooted in its Norman French heritage and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cosart
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosart, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cosart bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Cosart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander7.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cosart
Cosart appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-21 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,356 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+8 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,040 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 31,356 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 10,040 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Cosart surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #160,975 | #150,935 | 6.2% |
| Count | 100 | 108 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cosart bearers went from 100 to 108 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 10,040 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #150,935.
FAQ
Cosart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cosart?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Cosart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Cosart?
Cosart ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Cosart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cosart.
Has Cosart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cosart went from 100 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 8 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Cosart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosart, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%) and Hispanic (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cosart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cosart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7.4%), Hispanic (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Cosart (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Cosart mean?
A locational French surname derived from a place name, likely indicating an origin. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Cosart (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Cosart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.