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Koss Family History

Koss Surname Meaning

Germanized or Americanized form of Polish, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Czech, and Slovak Kos Sorbian Kós ‘blackbird’. East German: from a short form of the personal name Kosmas (see Kosman).

German: nickname for a gossip or a smooth-talker, a variant of Kose.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): variant of Kos.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Koss family from?

You can see how Koss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Koss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Koss families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 54 Koss families living in Manitoba. This was about 46% of all the recorded Koss's in Canada. Manitoba had the highest population of Koss families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Koss surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Koss ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Labourer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Koss. 34% of Koss men worked as a Labourer and 50% of Koss women worked as a Clerk. Some less common occupations for Americans named Koss were Fisherman and Labourer.

View Census Data for Koss | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Labourer
    34%
  • Miner
    23%
  • Farmer
    23%
  • Fisherman
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    50%
  • Labourer
    50%

What Koss family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 18,000 census records available for the last name Koss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Koss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Koss

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Koss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Koss immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Koss. For the veterans among your Koss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Koss military records

You've only scratched the surface of Koss family history

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What is the average Koss lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Koss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Koss in 1949 was 47, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Koss

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Koss ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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