2000
#11,032
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,644
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.98
Rare Last name
Cosper
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of drinking cups and goblets.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,754 Americans carry the last name Cosper. That puts it at #12,349 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,457 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cosper 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
2.8K
1 in 124,457
Census rank
#12,349
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,402 bearers of the surname Cosper in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12349th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosper, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cosper
The surname Cosper is believed to have originated in England. It likely arose as a surname in the medieval period, derived from an occupational term referring to a basket maker or seller. The root of the name may be traced back to the Old English words "cosp" or "cosp-ere," meaning "basket" or "basket maker/seller," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cosper surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where a William Cospere is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already become an established surname by the late 12th century.
During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1240, which mentions a John Cospere. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a Roger Cospere in Oxfordshire.
In the 14th century, the Cosper surname continued to appear in records across different regions of England. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327 include a Thomas Cospere, while the Court Rolls of Walsham le Willows in Suffolk from 1347 reference a John Cosper.
One notable early bearer of the Cosper surname was William Cosper, who was born in Wiltshire around 1420. He served as a member of the House of Commons, representing Wiltshire in the Parliament of 1453-1454.
Another individual of historical significance was John Cosper, born in Somerset in 1532. He was a renowned scholar and theologian, serving as the Dean of Exeter Cathedral from 1575 until his death in 1603.
In the 17th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Cosper, Cospere, and Cossper. One example is Thomas Cosper, born in Gloucestershire in 1612, who was a prominent merchant and landowner.
Elizabeth Cosper, born in London in 1668, was a notable figure in the early 18th century. She was a pioneering female author and poet, known for her works exploring themes of feminism and social commentary.
The 19th century saw the Cosper surname spread further across England and into other parts of the British Isles. For instance, James Cosper, born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1821, was a highly regarded architect who designed several iconic buildings in the city.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cosper
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosper, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cosper 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 Cosper surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 1,964
- Black or African American7.9% · 190
- Two or more races4.7% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cosper
Cosper 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
#12,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,474
-170 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 1,493 places
2020
#12,349
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,402
-72 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,032 | 2,644 | 0.98 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,525 | 2,474 | 0.84 | -170 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 1,493 places |
| 2020 | #12,349 | 2,402 | 0.80 | -72 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 176 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 Cosper 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 | #12,525 | #12,349 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,474 | 2,402 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.84 | 0.80 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cosper bearers went from 2,474 to 2,402 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,525 to #12,349.
FAQ
Cosper surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cosper?
Name Census estimates that about 2,754 living Americans carry the surname Cosper. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,457 residents.
How common is Cosper?
Cosper ranks #12,349 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,402 people with the surname Cosper. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,754), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Cosper.
Has Cosper become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cosper went from 2,474 recorded bearers to 2,402. That is a decrease of 72 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,525 to #12,349.
What does the Census say about the background of Cosper?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cosper, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Cosper in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,964 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cosper appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Black (7.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Cosper (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 Cosper mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of drinking cups and goblets. 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 Cosper (0.80 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 Cosper?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.