Koster surname: meaning, census count and records | FamilyCrests

The Koster surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 6,137 people carried this name — #5,226 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 44,100 people counted.

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In Switzerland’s population statistics

795 people named Koster live in Switzerland.

They live in 18 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in St. Gallen.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

St. Gallen 189
Zurich 161
Thurgau 145
Appenzell Innerrhoden 118
Appenzell Ausserrhoden 38
Aargau 33
Bern 23
Zug 15

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

224 people named Koster have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 302 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 10 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Lesser Poland 79
Greater Poland 53
Silesian 34
West Pomeranian 26
Holy Cross 10
Lower Silesian 6
Masovian 6
Łódź 4

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

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 116 people named Koster.

35 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 14 départements, most often Moselle.

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

Where they were born

Born outside France 35
Moselle 43
Meurthe-et-Moselle 13
Bas-Rhin 5
Oise 4
Ille-et-Vilaine 4
Essonne 2
Paris 2
Aisne 2

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 31 people named Koster live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.

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

Where they live today

Antwerp 20
East Flanders 6
Limburg 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Koster in American newspapers,
1892–1950.

Newspaper page from The Cheyenne Daily Leader carrying the name Koster
The Cheyenne Daily Leader 1892-07-15
Newspaper page from The Telegraph-Courier carrying the name Koster
The Telegraph-Courier 1901-03-07
Newspaper page from The Farmer And Mechanic carrying the name Koster
The Farmer And Mechanic 1915-06-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 69,024 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Koster,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Everhardus Koster
    Everhardus Koster 1817–1892 · painter
  • Willem Koster
    Willem Koster 1834–1907 · physician
  • Edward B. Koster
    Edward B. Koster 1861–1937 · writer
  • Willem Koster Gzn.
    Willem Koster Gzn. 1865–1921 · university teacher
  • Marinus Simon Koster
    Marinus Simon Koster 1867–1956 · politician

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 176 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Koster.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Koster 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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