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

Koski, 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 Koski surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Koski in America

Koski is the 6424th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Koski surname appeared 5,288 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 Koski.

We can also compare 2010 data for Koski 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 Koski

The surname Koski originated from Finland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Finnish word "koski," which means "rapids" or "waterfall," indicating that the name likely referred to a person who lived near a fast-moving stream or waterfall.

Koski is a common Finnish place name, and many early instances of the surname are found in connection with these locations. For example, in the parish records of Tammela, Finland, there are references to individuals with the surname Koski as early as the mid-1500s.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Koski appeared in various historical records and documents across Finland. One notable example is the Vanha Suomen Kartasto, a collection of old maps and cadastral records from the 17th century, which includes mentions of individuals and families with the Koski surname.

In the 19th century, several individuals with the surname Koski gained recognition in various fields. Juho Koski (1824-1890) was a Finnish writer and journalist who contributed to the development of Finnish literature. Kaarlo Koski (1847-1928) was a prominent Finnish architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in Helsinki.

Other notable individuals with the surname Koski include Antti Koski (1826-1883), a Finnish politician and member of the Finnish Senate, and Yrjö Koski (1911-2003), a Finnish artist and sculptor whose works were exhibited throughout Europe and the United States.

The surname Koski has also been found in historical records from other Nordic countries, such as Sweden and Norway, where it may have been adopted by Finnish immigrants or derived from similar geographical features.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Koski

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

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

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

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