Coston last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Coston is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Coston.

Meaning of Coston

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "Cot's town" or "cottage town."

Coston, 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 Coston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coston in America

Coston is the 6788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coston surname appeared 4,969 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Coston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coston 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 6788 6580 3.11%
Count 4,969 4,750 4.51%
Proportion per 100k 1.68 1.76 -4.65%

The history of the last name Coston

The surname Coston is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational surname derived from the Old English words "cost" and "tun," which together translate to "cottage by the wood."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Coston in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Costun and Costone, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time period. Several historical records from Norfolk and Lincolnshire mention individuals with the surname Coston, including a John de Coston who was a landowner in Norfolk in the late 1200s.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Coston family appears to have been well-established in Lincolnshire and Norfolk, with several members holding positions of prominence. One notable figure was Sir John Coston (c. 1410-1478), a member of the gentry who served as a Justice of the Peace in Lincolnshire.

The 16th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the Coston surname. One such person was Hugh Coston (c. 1520-1588), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich. Another was Thomas Coston (c. 1550-1610), a clergyman who served as the rector of Rockland St. Andrew in Norfolk.

In the 17th century, the Coston name continued to be associated with various places in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. For example, there was a village called Coston near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, which may have taken its name from the surname.

One notable figure from this period was Richard Coston (c. 1630-1692), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby in Lincolnshire. Another was John Coston (c. 1660-1725), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1693.

As the centuries progressed, the Coston surname spread to other parts of England and beyond, with individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields. For instance, James Coston (1804-1868) was a prominent architect in London, responsible for designing several notable buildings, including St. Mary's Church in Battersea.

Overall, the surname Coston has a rich history deeply rooted in the English counties of Lincolnshire and Norfolk, with its origins dating back to the medieval period. Over the centuries, it has been associated with notable individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse contributions of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coston

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Coston.

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:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Coston was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 44.64% 2,218
Non-Hispanic Black Only 48.68% 2,419
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.50% 25
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.38% 19
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.08% 153
Hispanic Origin 2.72% 135

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 Coston has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 44.64% 46.67% -4.45%
Black 48.68% 48.84% -0.33%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.50% 0.34% 38.10%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.38% 0.48% -23.26%
Two or More Races 3.08% 1.96% 44.44%
Hispanic 2.72% 1.71% 45.60%

Data source

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 Coston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Coston, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Coston last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/coston-surname-popularity/.

"Coston last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/coston-surname-popularity/. Accessed 21 November, 2024

Coston last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/coston-surname-popularity/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.