Ko
A short surname that can arise from several independent linguistic traditions, especially East Asian and Slavic ones.
The #2,708 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 23,193 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Ko is a very short surname, so it has more than one possible origin depending on the family. In East Asian use it may reflect a Chinese, Korean, or Vietnamese family name represented by a character or romanization that can be rendered as Ko. In Europe, similar-looking surnames can come from several different roots, including short forms of longer names, nicknames, or local spellings that were simplified over time. Because these origins are unrelated, the surname cannot be given one single meaning without knowing the family’s background.
History
In the United States, Ko is most often found among families of East Asian background, though it can also occur in European-descended lines where it developed independently. As with many very short surnames, multiple spellings and transliteration systems have likely contributed to its modern distribution. The surname’s present-day bearers do not necessarily share a common origin beyond the letter sequence itself.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because it is so short, Ko is a classic example of a surname that can look the same on paper while hiding several completely different family histories.