2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Qosaj
Albanian surname indicating a person belonging to the Qosaj family or clan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Qosaj. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Qosaj 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Qosaj in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Qosaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Qosaj
The surname QOSAJ is a rare Albanian surname that originated in the village of Qosaj, located in the northern region of Kosovo. The name is derived from the Albanian word "qos," meaning "monk" or "friar," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been associated with monastic orders or religious institutions in the area.
The earliest known records of the QOSAJ surname date back to the 15th century, when the Ottoman Empire ruled over the Balkan region. During this period, many Albanians converted to Islam, and some families adopted Turkish-influenced surnames, including QOSAJ. It is believed that the name was initially used to identify individuals or families who lived in or near the village of Qosaj.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the QOSAJ surname can be found in a Ottoman tax register from 1487, which lists several households with this name in the Prizren region of Kosovo. This document provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the QOSAJ surname during the 15th century.
In the 17th century, a notable figure associated with the QOSAJ surname was Mehmet Qosaj (1630-1698), a prominent Albanian bey (lord) who governed the Dukagjin region of northern Albania. His descendants continued to wield significant influence in the area, and the QOSAJ name became closely tied to the local nobility and landowners.
Another notable figure was Ismail Qosaj (1785-1860), a renowned Albanian scholar and poet who was born in the village of Qosaj. His works, which celebrated Albanian culture and language, played a crucial role in the Albanian National Awakening movement of the 19th century.
During the 20th century, the QOSAJ surname gained prominence with individuals such as Shefqet Qosaj (1912-1997), a renowned Albanian writer and journalist who was a leading figure in the country's literary circles. His novels and short stories provided insightful portrayals of Albanian society and culture.
Another prominent bearer of the QOSAJ surname was Hysen Qosaj (1920-2001), a renowned Albanian musician and composer who made significant contributions to the development of traditional Albanian music. His compositions, which blended traditional elements with modern influences, helped to preserve and popularize Albanian folk music.
While the QOSAJ surname remains relatively uncommon outside of Kosovo and northern Albania, it has a rich historical legacy that spans centuries and is deeply rooted in the region's cultural and religious traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Qosaj
Among Census respondents with the surname Qosaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Qosaj 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 Qosaj surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 99
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Qosaj
Qosaj appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 6,220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 6,220 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 Qosaj 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 | #160,975 | #154,755 | 3.9% |
| Count | 100 | 102 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Qosaj bearers went from 100 to 102 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 6,220 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #154,755.
FAQ
Qosaj surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Qosaj?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Qosaj. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Qosaj?
Qosaj ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Qosaj. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Qosaj.
Has Qosaj become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Qosaj went from 100 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Qosaj?
Among Census respondents with the surname Qosaj, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Qosaj in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Qosaj appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (1.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Qosaj (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 Qosaj mean?
Albanian surname indicating a person belonging to the Qosaj family or clan. 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 Qosaj (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Qosaj?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.