Find out how popular the last name Costlow is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Costlow.
From an English habitational name referring to someone from Costlow.
Costlow, 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 Costlow surname is from the 2010 census data.
Costlow is the 22963rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Costlow surname appeared 1,114 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Costlow.
We can also compare 2010 data for Costlow 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 22963 | 22011 | 4.23% |
Count | 1,114 | 1,098 | 1.45% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.38 | 0.41 | -7.59% |
The surname Costlow has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cost" and "hlaw," meaning "ridge" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Costlowe." This entry provides evidence that the surname was already in use during the Norman era, indicating its longstanding presence in English history.
Throughout the centuries, various spellings of the name have emerged, including Costloe, Costlough, and Costlew. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping practices during earlier times.
Notably, the name Costlow has been associated with several historical figures. In the 15th century, a John Costlow was recorded as a landowner in Oxfordshire, while in the 17th century, a William Costlow served as a prominent merchant in the city of Bristol.
Another notable bearer of the Costlow name was Sir Thomas Costlow (1620-1691), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton during the reign of Charles II.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we find Mary Costlow (1745-1819), a renowned scholar and educator who established one of the first girls' schools in London, making significant contributions to the advancement of women's education.
In the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the works of the poet and playwright, Robert Costlow (1812-1885), whose literary works explored themes of nature and the human experience.
While the surname Costlow has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of migration patterns and historical events.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Costlow.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Costlow was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 95.96% | 1,069 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.54% | 6 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 6 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.44% | 16 |
Hispanic Origin | 1.53% | 17 |
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 Costlow has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 95.96% | 97.18% | -1.26% |
Black | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.54% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.55% | -1.83% |
Two or More Races | 1.44% | 0.82% | 54.87% |
Hispanic | 1.53% | 0.64% | 82.03% |
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 Costlow was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Costlow, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/costlow-surname-popularity/">Costlow last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Costlow last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/costlow-surname-popularity/.
"Costlow last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/costlow-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 June, 2025
Costlow last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/costlow-surname-popularity/.
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