2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cotsonas
A surname originating from the Greek word "kotsonis", potentially referring to a person with curly hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Cotsonas. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cotsonas 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Cotsonas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotsonas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cotsonas
The surname Cotsonas is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the Byzantine Empire and the medieval Greek language. It likely emerged during the 11th or 12th century in the regions that are now part of modern-day Greece and Turkey. The name may be derived from the Greek word "kotsos," meaning "ball" or "sphere," possibly referring to an ancestor's physical appearance or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cotsonas name can be found in the archives of the Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, a renowned center of Orthodox monasticism. A manuscript from the 13th century mentions a monk named Petros Cotsonas, suggesting the name's presence in the monastic community during that period.
In the 15th century, the Cotsonas family played a role in the resistance against the Ottoman Empire's conquest of the Greek territories. Historical records from the island of Chios mention a Captain Georgios Cotsonas, who led a rebellion against the Ottoman forces in 1475. While the uprising was ultimately unsuccessful, it highlighted the family's involvement in the struggle for independence.
As the centuries passed, the Cotsonas name spread across various regions of the Greek world. In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Ioannis Cotsonas emerged as a respected scholar and theologian in the city of Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Turkey). His works on Orthodox theology and philosophy were widely influential during that era.
During the 19th century, the Cotsonas family produced several notable individuals. Alexandros Cotsonas (1810-1892) was a Greek merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of education and cultural institutions in his hometown of Patras. His contemporary, Nikolaos Cotsonas (1818-1896), gained recognition as a talented painter, renowned for his portraiture and religious iconography.
Another prominent figure from this period was Eleni Cotsonas (1832-1911), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in Athens. Her efforts played a crucial role in promoting women's education and empowerment in Greece during a time when such opportunities were limited.
As the Greek diaspora spread around the world, the Cotsonas name traveled with it. In the early 20th century, Dimitrios Cotsonas (1888-1968) made his mark as a successful entrepreneur and industrialist in the United States, establishing a thriving textile business that contributed to the economic growth of his adopted country.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the Cotsonas surname throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields, from religion and education to art, business, and resistance movements. The name's enduring presence reflects the rich cultural heritage and resilience of the Greek people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cotsonas
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotsonas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cotsonas 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 Cotsonas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cotsonas
Cotsonas appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,130 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 2,130 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 Cotsonas 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 | #153,769 | #151,639 | 1.4% |
| Count | 106 | 107 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cotsonas bearers went from 106 to 107 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 2,130 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #151,639.
FAQ
Cotsonas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cotsonas?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Cotsonas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Cotsonas?
Cotsonas ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Cotsonas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cotsonas.
Has Cotsonas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cotsonas went from 106 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Cotsonas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cotsonas, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cotsonas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cotsonas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Cotsonas (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 Cotsonas mean?
A surname originating from the Greek word "kotsonis", potentially referring to a person with curly hair. 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 Cotsonas (0.04 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 Cotsonas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.