The Koss surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,544 people carried this name — #4,147 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 34,500 people counted. That is up 24% from 6,882 in 2000.

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In Poland’s population register

810 people named Koss have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 947 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Pomeranian.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Pomeranian 519
Masovian 49
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 46
Silesian 39
Lublin 27
Greater Poland 22
Opole 22
West Pomeranian 21

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 71 people named Koss live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 26
City of Buenos Aires 20
Salta 14
San Juan 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In the Nordic population registers

35 people named Koss is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 35

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Koss in American newspapers,
1883–1893.

Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Koss
The Anaconda Standard 1892-05-14
Newspaper page from Helena Weekly Herald carrying the name Koss
Helena Weekly Herald 1883-07-26
Newspaper page from The Anaconda Standard carrying the name Koss
The Anaconda Standard 1893-01-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 67,308 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Koss in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

6,057 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Koss. The most, 1,153, date from the 1910s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,837
Victoria 1,607
Queensland 1,091
South Australia 926
Western Australia 333
Tasmania 250
ACT (Canberra) 8
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Koss.

Who carried it

People named Koss,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Franciszek Koss
    Franciszek Koss 1792–1841 · military officer
  • Franciszek Koss
    Franciszek Koss 1792–1841 · military officer
  • Eugenia Koss
    Eugenia Koss 1806–1849 · actor
  • Adam Kos 1620–1661 · Catholic priest
  • Christian von Koss 1698–1758 · military officer
  • Friederich von Koss 1701–1782 · military officer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Koss,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States961 records

961 records of the Koss name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 330
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 189
  • Other U.S. records 442
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William Koß

    Born 1915 in Pennsylvania. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; meat cutter from Kings County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1967, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Amalie Koß

    Arrived at Philadelphia in 1857 aboard the Falke from Bremen, aged 15; farmer. From Stadtoldendorf, Germany; bound for Richmond.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Frederick M. Koß

    Born 1946; from Bridgeport, Ohio. U.S. Air Force; killed in action 1972 in Thailand.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 961 records for Koss in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Germany384 records

384 records of the Koss name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Köß

    Born 1893; from Holthausen, Münster. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 29 November 1918 (Pioneer Battalion No. 21).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Koß

    Born 1883; from Berlin. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 2 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 63).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Koß

    From Kl. Zabrze, Hindenburg. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 29 March 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 156).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 384 records for Koss in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Netherlands83 records

83 records of the Koss name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 42
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 40
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Frans Koss

    Married in 1872 in Steenwijk; merchant. Died 1915 in Steenwijk, aged 71; "bierbottelaar".

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Petrus Hubertus Bartholomeus Köss

    Born 1906 in Steenwijk. Married in 1943 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Franciscus Petrus Wilhelmus Köss

    Born 1904 in Steenwijk. Died 1958 in Schiedam.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Schiedam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 83 records for Koss in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada16 records

16 records of the Koss name in Canada
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 11
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Other Canadian records 3
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Arley Pearl Koß

    Buried in 1989 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Michael Koss

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Alexander John Koss

    Married 1945 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 16 records for Koss in Canada.

Counts: City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Norway16 records

16 records of the Koss name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Valentin Koss

    Census of 1910: Fram, Aker; wholesaler, born 1872 in Tønsberg.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Laura Koss

    Census of 1910: Elisenbergvn, Kristiania; born 1861 in Værdalen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Valborg Koss

    Census of 1910: Solvang, Asker, Asker; born 1892 in Kr.ania.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Koss in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Australia9 records

9 records of the Koss name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 3
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • Other Australian records 3
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Willi Ludwig Koß

    Builder of Morwell, Victoria; died 1989.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Frieda Koß

    Arrived in Queensland in 1867 aboard the Royal Dane.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Theodore Koss

    Died 1985; buried at Gungahlin Cemetery, Canberra, ACT.

    ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Koss in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France6 records

6 records of the Koss name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Blanche Eugenie Koß

    Born 1910 in Suresnes (Paris); died 1983 in Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Leon Paul Koß

    Born 1926 in Brousseval (Haute-Marne); died 1987 in Montluçon (Allier).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jankiel Koß

    Born 1899 in Poland; died 1942 in Poland.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Koss in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Koss.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Koss is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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