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

Kos, 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 Kos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kos in America

Kos is the 17026th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kos surname appeared 1,669 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kos 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.

The history of the last name Kos

The surname "KOS" is of Polish origin, and it can be traced back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Polish word "kos," which means "blackbird." It is believed that the name was originally given as a nickname to someone who had dark hair or a dark complexion, resembling the appearance of a blackbird.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "KOS" can be found in the Tarnów Land Records, dated around 1389. This document mentions a man named Jakub Kos, who was a landowner in the area.

In the 15th century, the name "KOS" appeared in the Nieszawa Land Records, which mentioned a man named Jan Kos, who was a farmer in the region.

The Domesday Book, a historic manuscript compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror, does not include any references to the surname "KOS," as it primarily focused on landowners in England at the time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the surname "KOS." One of the earliest was Jan Kos (1460-1532), a Polish theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Poland.

Another prominent figure was Andrzej Kos (1570-1639), a Polish military commander who served in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and gained recognition for his leadership during the Polish-Swedish War.

In the 19th century, Władysław Kos (1832-1914) was a renowned Polish architect and urban planner. He designed several notable buildings in Warsaw, including the Warsaw Philharmonic and the Resursa Obywatelska building.

Stanisław Kos (1893-1944) was a Polish military officer and member of the Polish Underground State during World War II. He played a crucial role in the Polish resistance movement against the German occupation.

More recently, Józef Kos (1925-2005) was a Polish boxer who won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

While the surname "KOS" has its origins in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply connected to Polish culture and history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kos

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

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 Kos was:

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

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

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

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