Cosme
A surname ultimately from the name of Saints Cosmas and Damian, used in several Romance-language traditions.
The #6,313 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,122 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cosme is the surname form of the given name Cosme, a Romance-language descendant of the Latin Cosmas, from Greek Kosmas. The name was made famous in Christian tradition by Saints Cosmas and Damian, twin martyrs and healers, so it entered use as a personal name before becoming hereditary in some families. In literal Greek, the root is associated with order or adornment, though the surname itself is best understood as coming through the saint’s name rather than directly from the Greek adjective.
History
As a family name, Cosme developed in communities where personal names became inherited surnames, especially in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas and in parts of the wider Romance world. It is also found in the Philippines and Latin America through Iberian naming traditions. In modern records it may appear both as a surname and, less commonly, as a given name used in honor of the saints.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The medical symbol of the two saints, Cosmas and Damian, helped keep the name Cosme in use for centuries.