2000
#12,897
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,187
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Cossey
Derived from a place name meaning "Cossa's island," referring to an island belonging to a person named Cossa.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,459 Americans carry the last name Cossey. That puts it at #13,554 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 139,388 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cossey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cossey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 139,388
Census rank
#13,554
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,144 bearers of the surname Cossey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13554th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cossey, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cossey
The surname Cossey has its origins in England and is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is likely derived from the Old English words "cosse" meaning a sack or bag, and "ey" meaning an island or area of high ground. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived on a raised area or settlement where sacks or bags were produced or stored.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cossey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a William de Cosseye. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records kept by the English Crown during the reign of King Edward I. This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 13th century.
The surname Cossey has also been linked to the village of Costessey in Norfolk, England. This place name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cost" meaning a cottage or dwelling, and "ey" meaning an island or area of high ground. It is possible that some early bearers of the surname Cossey may have been from this area or had connections to the village.
In the 14th century, the Cossey surname appears in the Court Rolls of Gloucestershire, which were legal records kept by the local manorial courts. These rolls mention individuals such as John Cossey and Thomas Cossey, indicating the presence of the surname in the region during that time period.
One notable bearer of the Cossey surname was Sir Thomas Cossey (c. 1505 - 1555), who was a member of the English gentry and served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another individual of historical significance was Sir Henry Cossey (c. 1545 - 1609), who was a wealthy landowner and held the position of High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1591.
In the 17th century, the Cossey surname can be found in the records of the East India Company, with individuals such as John Cossey (1610 - 1670) serving as a captain and merchant for the company. Additionally, William Cossey (1634 - 1702) was a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Norfolk during this period.
Throughout the centuries, the Cossey surname has also been associated with various places and locations in England, including the village of Cossey in Norfolk, and the hamlet of Cosseys in Leicestershire, further emphasizing the name's deep-rooted connection to the English landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cossey
Among Census respondents with the surname Cossey, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cossey 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 Cossey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 1,720
- Black or African American7.9% · 170
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 104
- Two or more races4.4% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cossey
Cossey 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
#12,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,431
+244 bearers (+11.2%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 201 places
2020
#13,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,144
-287 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,897 | 2,187 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,696 | 2,431 | 0.82 | +244 bearers (+11.2%) | Up 201 places |
| 2020 | #13,554 | 2,144 | 0.72 | -287 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 858 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 Cossey 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 | #12,696 | #13,554 | -6.8% |
| Count | 2,431 | 2,144 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.72 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cossey bearers went from 2,431 to 2,144 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 858 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,696 to #13,554.
FAQ
Cossey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cossey?
Name Census estimates that about 2,459 living Americans carry the surname Cossey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 139,388 residents.
How common is Cossey?
Cossey ranks #13,554 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,144 people with the surname Cossey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Cossey.
Has Cossey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cossey went from 2,431 recorded bearers to 2,144. That is a decrease of 287 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,696 to #13,554.
What does the Census say about the background of Cossey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cossey, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Cossey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (1,720 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cossey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Black (7.9%), Hispanic (4.9%). 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 Cossey (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 Cossey mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Cossa's island," referring to an island belonging to a person named Cossa. 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 Cossey (0.72 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 have the surname Cossey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.