2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koshko
A surname of Ukrainian or Russian origin referring to a person who kept cats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Koshko. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koshko 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Koshko in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koshko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koshko
The surname KOSHKO is of Ukrainian origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Poltava region of central Ukraine, where it was often used as a nickname or patronymic derived from the Ukrainian word "koshka," meaning "cat."
During the medieval period, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or nicknames. The name KOSHKO likely referred to someone with cat-like qualities, such as agility or stealth, or perhaps someone who worked with cats in some capacity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOSHKO surname can be found in the Cossack Regimental Records of the Zaporozhian Host, a semi-autonomous Cossack military formation that played a significant role in the history of Ukraine. These records date back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 18th century, the KOSHKO surname appeared in various church records and census documents across Ukraine. Notable individuals from this time period include Petro KOSHKO (1675-1741), a Cossack leader and military commander who participated in the Battle of Poltava during the Great Northern War.
As the Ukrainian diaspora spread throughout the world, the KOSHKO surname traveled with them. In the late 19th century, Ivan KOSHKO (1856-1928) was a prominent Ukrainian writer and poet who contributed to the development of modern Ukrainian literature.
Another notable figure with the KOSHKO surname was Mykola KOSHKO (1886-1937), a Ukrainian military officer and revolutionary who fought against both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. He later immigrated to Canada, where he continued his activism and writings.
During the 20th century, the KOSHKO surname gained recognition in various fields. Oleksandr KOSHKO (1914-1985) was a Ukrainian artist and sculptor, known for his monumental works and public sculptures throughout Ukraine.
More recently, Volodymyr KOSHKO (1946-2017) was a respected Ukrainian writer and journalist who covered political and social issues in his works, shedding light on the struggles and resilience of the Ukrainian people.
While the KOSHKO surname may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on Ukrainian history, culture, and literature, spanning centuries and carrying with it a rich heritage rooted in the heart of Ukraine.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koshko
Among Census respondents with the surname Koshko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Koshko 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 Koshko surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 109
- Black or African American3.3% · 4
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koshko
Koshko 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,150 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-4 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,456 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,150 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,456 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 Koshko 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 | #135,593 | #142,049 | -4.8% |
| Count | 124 | 120 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koshko bearers went from 124 to 120 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 6,456 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #142,049.
FAQ
Koshko surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koshko?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Koshko. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Koshko?
Koshko ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Koshko. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Koshko.
Has Koshko become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koshko went from 124 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Koshko?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koshko, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Koshko in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koshko appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Black (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Koshko (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 Koshko mean?
A surname of Ukrainian or Russian origin referring to a person who kept cats. 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 Koshko (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 last name Koshko?
See how many Americans have the surname Koshko on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.