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

Kossa, 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 Kossa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kossa in America

Kossa is the 156044th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kossa surname appeared 104 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kossa.

The history of the last name Kossa

The surname Kossa has its origins in Central Europe, particularly in the regions of modern-day Germany and Poland. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.

One theory suggests that Kossa is derived from the old Slavic word "kosa," which means "scythe" or "sickle." This could indicate that the name was originally an occupational surname given to individuals who worked as scythe-makers or utilized scythes in their trade, such as farmers or agricultural workers.

Another possible origin is that Kossa is a variant spelling of the Germanic name "Koss," which itself is derived from the old German word "kose," meaning "cottage" or "hut." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a small dwelling or was associated with a particular cottage or settlement.

In terms of historical references, the name Kossa has been found in various medieval documents and records. One notable mention is in the "Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae," a collection of historical documents from the region of Silesia (now part of Poland and the Czech Republic), dating back to the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kossa was Hans Kossa, a German merchant and trader who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 14th century (c. 1370-1435). Another notable figure was Johann Kossa, a Czech Catholic priest and theologian who played a significant role in the Hussite movement in the early 15th century (c. 1380-1419).

In the 16th century, there was a prominent German noble family named Kossa von Tannenberg, who held lands and estates in the region of Saxony. One member of this family, Friedrich Kossa von Tannenberg (c. 1520-1585), was a military commander and served as a colonel in the Schmalkaldic War.

Moving forward to the 18th century, we find mention of Johann Gottfried Kossa (1715-1788), a German philosopher and theologian who authored several works on ethics and moral philosophy.

Another notable figure was the Polish artist and painter Władysław Kossa (1828-1892), who was known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in the regions of Galicia and Bukovina (now part of Ukraine).

Throughout history, variations of the name Kossa have also been found, such as Koss, Kosse, Kosse, and Kossow, often reflecting regional spelling differences or the influence of other languages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kossa

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

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 Kossa 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.

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

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

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