Coss
A surname with several possible roots, including Norman-French and place-name links, and in some cases a shortened form of longer names.
The #7,961 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,289 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Coss is probably not from a single source. The historical references point to it alongside Norman-French forms such as Gosse/Gousse and other shortened or variant spellings, suggesting that at least some bearers may descend from a Continental personal name or nickname tradition. It may also have been influenced by English place-name surnames or by shortening of longer surnames that ended in -coss or similar forms. Because the old sources are fragmentary and do not agree on one clear derivation, the safest explanation is that Coss is a variant or reduced surname with more than one possible origin.
History
The name appears in medieval and later records in forms close to Coss, Gosse, and related spellings, especially in Norman and English contexts. In modern usage it survives as a relatively uncommon surname in English-speaking countries, including the United States. The historical evidence suggests multiple local lines rather than one single family origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname collectors often grouped Coss with a cluster of similar names, showing how hard it can be to separate one short surname from its close spelling cousins.
From the historical record
“Koese ; G. Kose, Kosig ; Dch. Cossa ; Fl. Coss6 ; p.n. Cossham. A loc. n., Hants Cossington. A loc. n., Somers. Cossins. See Cozfens Cosstick. See Copestick Costello. From Mac Ostello,”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (1st ed.)