Find out how popular the last name Cosby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cosby.

Cosby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cosby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cosby in America

Cosby is the 3471st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cosby surname appeared 10,300 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Cosby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cosby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cosby

The surname Cosby is believed to have originated in England, potentially derived from a place name or a descriptive term. One theory suggests that it may be rooted in the Old English words "cocc," meaning a worker or servant, and "by," meaning a town or village, indicating a possible connection to a settlement where servants or workers resided.

Another hypothesis links the name to the Old Norse word "kos," meaning a small hut or cottage, combined with the Old English "by," suggesting it could refer to a person who lived in a small dwelling or hamlet. However, the exact origins remain uncertain, as surnames often evolved and transformed over time.

In terms of historical references, the Cosby surname appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from the 13th century, which mentions a William Cosebi. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a John Coseby, indicating the name's presence in different regions of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documents a landowner named Robertus de Cozebi in Leicestershire. This entry suggests that the name may have been associated with a place called Cosby or a similar-sounding location.

Over the centuries, the surname has been spelled in various ways, including Coseby, Cozeby, Cosseby, and Cosbie, reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions in earlier times. Some notable individuals bearing the Cosby surname include:

1. Sir Thomas Cosby (c. 1500-1572), an English soldier and landowner who served as Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
2. Philips Cosby (c. 1580-1625), an English colonist and landowner in Virginia, regarded as one of the earliest settlers in the Jamestown colony.
3. William Cosby (1690-1737), an English military officer and colonial governor of New York and New Jersey.
4. Grace Cosby (1892-1976), an American actress and vaudeville performer known for her roles in silent films.
5. William Henry Cosby Jr. (1937-present), an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author, widely known for his influential career in entertainment.

It is important to note that while the surname Cosby has been associated with various historical figures and locations, its precise origins remain subject to scholarly debate and ongoing research.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cosby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cosby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cosby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cosby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cosby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cosby, please contact us.

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