2000
#111,740
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kossin
A Polish surname derived from the word "kosić" meaning "to mow" or "to cut grass."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kossin. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kossin 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Kossin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kossin, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kossin
The surname Kossin has its origins in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, specifically in the areas that are now modern-day Poland and Belarus. It is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name Kossin is thought to be derived from the Slavic root word "kos," which means "blackbird" or "turdus." It is likely that the name was originally a descriptive nickname given to someone who had a perceived resemblance to a blackbird or perhaps worked with these birds.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kossin can be found in a Polish census record from the year 1487, which lists a "Jan Kossin" as a resident of the village of Zielona Góra.
Another notable historical figure bearing this surname was Stanisław Kossin, a Polish nobleman and military commander who lived from 1558 to 1627. He played a significant role in defending the city of Smolensk against Russian forces during the Polish-Muscovite War of 1609-1618.
In the 17th century, the name Kossin appeared in several Russian census records, indicating that the surname had spread to the neighboring regions. One such record from 1678 mentions a "Fyodor Kossin" who was a landowner in the village of Tver.
The 18th century saw the emergence of a prominent Kossin family in the city of Krakow, Poland. Jakub Kossin, born in 1712, was a respected merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the city's economic and cultural development.
Another notable figure with the surname Kossin was Andrei Kossin, a Russian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1778 and served with distinction in the Russian Imperial Army, participating in several major battles against the French forces.
While the surname Kossin is not as common today as it was in the past, it continues to be found in various parts of Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland, Belarus, and Russia. The name serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of the Slavic region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kossin
Among Census respondents with the surname Kossin, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kossin 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 Kossin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kossin
Kossin 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
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
-12 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 15,754 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-13 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,740 | 146 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | -12 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 15,754 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 13,815 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 Kossin 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 | #127,494 | #141,309 | -10.8% |
| Count | 134 | 121 | -9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kossin bearers went from 134 to 121 (-9.7% change). The surname moved down 13,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kossin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kossin?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kossin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kossin?
Kossin ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Kossin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Kossin.
Has Kossin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kossin went from 134 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 13 (-9.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kossin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kossin, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kossin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kossin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kossin (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 Kossin mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "kosić" meaning "to mow" or "to cut grass." 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 Kossin (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 are called Kossin?
Want to know how many people have the last name Kossin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.