2000
#6,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,750
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Coston
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "Cot's town" or "cottage town."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,481 Americans carry the last name Coston. That puts it at #6,780 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,535 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coston 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 Coston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,535
Census rank
#6,780
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,780 bearers of the surname Coston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6780th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coston
Among Census respondents with the surname Coston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Coston 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 Coston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American45.8% · 2,187
- White43.4% · 2,074
- Two or more races6.0% · 288
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 181
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coston
Coston 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
#6,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,969
+219 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 208 places
2020
#6,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,780
-189 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.60
Rank movement Up 8 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,580 | 4,750 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,788 | 4,969 | 1.68 | +219 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 208 places |
| 2020 | #6,780 | 4,780 | 1.60 | -189 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 8 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 Coston 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 | #6,788 | #6,780 | 0.1% |
| Count | 4,969 | 4,780 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.60 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coston bearers went from 4,969 to 4,780 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 8 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,788 to #6,780.
FAQ
Coston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coston?
Name Census estimates that about 5,481 living Americans carry the surname Coston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,535 residents.
How common is Coston?
Coston ranks #6,780 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.60 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,780 people with the surname Coston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,481), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.6 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.60 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Coston.
Has Coston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coston went from 4,969 recorded bearers to 4,780. That is a decrease of 189 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,788 to #6,780.
What does the Census say about the background of Coston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (43.4%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.8% (2,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (45.8%), White (43.4%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Coston (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 Coston mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "Cot's town" or "cottage town." 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 Coston (1.60 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 share the surname Coston?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.