2000
#10,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,759
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Costner
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of costumes or costumes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,902 Americans carry the last name Costner. That puts it at #11,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,110 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Costner 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
2.9K
1 in 118,110
Census rank
#11,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,531 bearers of the surname Costner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Costner, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Costner
The surname COSTNER is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known roots dating back to the 15th century. It is derived from the German word "Kost," which means "food" or "provisions," suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the provision or preparation of food, such as innkeepers, cooks, or bakers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COSTNER can be found in the Alsatian town of Colmar, where a certain Hans Costner is mentioned in a document from 1486. This document refers to him as a resident of the town and provides insights into the early use of the surname in that region.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name COSTNER spread across various parts of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is also worth noting that the name underwent several spelling variations, such as Kostner, Köstner, and Koestner, reflecting regional linguistic variations and the evolution of the German language over time.
In the 18th century, records indicate that the COSTNER family had established a presence in the United States, with some members settling in Pennsylvania and other colonial regions. One notable figure from this period was Johann Michael Costner, who was born in 1732 in Württemberg, Germany, and later emigrated to America, where he became a renowned farmer and landowner in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
As the 19th century unfolded, the COSTNER name continued to gain prominence, particularly in the American South. One of the most famous individuals bearing this surname was Benjamin Parker Costner, a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War, who was born in 1838 and served in the 16th Virginia Infantry Regiment.
Another notable figure from this era was William Costner, a prominent educator and author who was born in 1845 in Tennessee. He is renowned for his contributions to the field of education and for his writings on various subjects, including history and literature.
In the 20th century, the COSTNER surname gained global recognition thanks to the acclaimed American actor and filmmaker Kevin Costner, who was born in 1955. His remarkable performances in films such as "Dances with Wolves," "The Untouchables," and "Field of Dreams" have cemented his status as a Hollywood icon and have further popularized the COSTNER name worldwide.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Costner
Among Census respondents with the surname Costner, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Costner 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 Costner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.2% · 2,031
- Black or African American11.8% · 299
- Two or more races4.1% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Costner
Costner 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
#11,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,818
+59 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 578 places
2020
#11,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,531
-287 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 603 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,645 | 2,759 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,223 | 2,818 | 0.96 | +59 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 578 places |
| 2020 | #11,826 | 2,531 | 0.85 | -287 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 603 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 Costner 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 | #11,223 | #11,826 | -5.4% |
| Count | 2,818 | 2,531 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.85 | -11.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Costner bearers went from 2,818 to 2,531 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 603 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,223 to #11,826.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Costner
FAQ
Costner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Costner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,902 living Americans carry the surname Costner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,110 residents.
How common is Costner?
Costner ranks #11,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,531 people with the surname Costner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,902), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Costner.
Has Costner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Costner went from 2,818 recorded bearers to 2,531. That is a decrease of 287 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,223 to #11,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Costner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Costner, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.2%. The next largest groups are Black (11.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Costner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.2% (2,031 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Costner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.2%), Black (11.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Costner (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 Costner mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of costumes or costumes. 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 Costner (0.85 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 Costner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.