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Cosby Family History

Cosby Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from a place in Leicestershire named Cosby from an Old English personal name Cossa + Old Norse býr ‘farm settlement’.

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


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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Cosby family from?

You can see how Cosby families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cosby family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cosby families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 44 Cosby families living in Bedfordshire. This was about 16% of all the recorded Cosby's in United Kingdom. Bedfordshire had the highest population of Cosby families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cosby 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 Cosby ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cosby. 34% of Cosby men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Cosby women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cosby were House Painter and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Cosby | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    34%
  • Bricklayer
    23%
  • Builders Labourer
    12%
  • House Painter
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Unpaid Household Duties
    5%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%

What Cosby family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 38,000 census records available for the last name Cosby. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cosby census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cosby

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Cosby. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cosby immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Cosby. For the veterans among your Cosby ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cosby military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cosby family history

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What is the average Cosby lifespan?

Between 1945 and 2004, in the United States, Cosby life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Cosby in 1945 was 42, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cosby

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cosby 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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