2000
#12,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,249
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Cosner
One who operates a lathe or turns wooden objects on a lathe, derived from the German "Kössner."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,533 Americans carry the last name Cosner. That puts it at #13,240 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cosner 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
2.5K
1 in 135,316
Census rank
#13,240
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,209 bearers of the surname Cosner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13240th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cosner
The surname Cosner has its origins in the French region of Normandy, dating back to the Middle Ages around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "cos" meaning "neck" and "ner" meaning "black" or "dark," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone with a dark complexion or tanned skin tone, particularly around the neck area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cosner can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Roger Cosner, who held estates in the county of Hampshire.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert Cosner was recorded as a monk at the Benedictine Abbey in Canterbury. He is known for his contributions to the abbey's library and his scholarly work on religious manuscripts.
During the 16th century, the name Cosner appeared in various historical documents across Normandy and neighboring regions. One notable individual was Jean Cosner, a merchant and landowner from the town of Rouen, who was involved in the textile trade and served as a local magistrate.
In the 17th century, the surname Cosner spread to other parts of Europe, including England and Germany. One notable bearer of the name was Wilhelm Cosner (1620-1688), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the intersection of religion and natural philosophy.
Another significant figure was Elizabeth Cosner (1692-1772), an English author and poet who gained recognition for her works on moral and religious themes. Her collection of poems, titled "Virtuous Reflections," was widely circulated in literary circles of the time.
As the surname Cosner continued to evolve and spread across different regions, various spelling variations emerged, such as Cosner, Cosnier, and Cosniere. Additionally, some derivatives and localized versions of the name included Cosnerio in Italy and Cosnerov in Eastern Europe.
Over the centuries, the Cosner surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including scholars, merchants, artists, and politicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Normandy, the name has since become a part of the cultural fabric of various nations and communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cosner
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cosner 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 Cosner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,025
- Two or more races4.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cosner
Cosner 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
#12,850
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,396
+147 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 220 places
2020
#13,240
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,209
-187 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 390 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,630 | 2,249 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,850 | 2,396 | 0.81 | +147 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 220 places |
| 2020 | #13,240 | 2,209 | 0.74 | -187 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 390 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 Cosner 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 | #12,850 | #13,240 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,396 | 2,209 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.74 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cosner bearers went from 2,396 to 2,209 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 390 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,850 to #13,240.
FAQ
Cosner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cosner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,533 living Americans carry the surname Cosner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,316 residents.
How common is Cosner?
Cosner ranks #13,240 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,209 people with the surname Cosner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cosner.
Has Cosner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cosner went from 2,396 recorded bearers to 2,209. That is a decrease of 187 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,850 to #13,240.
What does the Census say about the background of Cosner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Cosner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cosner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Cosner (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 Cosner mean?
One who operates a lathe or turns wooden objects on a lathe, derived from the German "Kössner." 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 Cosner (0.74 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 Americans have the surname Cosner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.