Kos Family History
Kos Name Meaning
Polish Slovenian Croatian Serbian Czech and Slovak; Sorbian (Kós): nickname from kos (Sorbian kós) ‘blackbird’ denoting someone thought to resemble the bird in some way for example someone with a good singing voice. The Sorbian surname is found mainly in Germanized forms Koss and Kuss . Compare also Cos and Coss . Czech Slovak and Croatian (Koš): metonymic occupational name for a basketmaker from koš ‘basket’. The Sorbian cognates Kóš (Lower Sorbian) and Koš (Upper Sorbian) are found in Germanized or Americanized forms only (see Kosch and Kosh ). Jewish (Ashkenazic): probably an artificial name from Slavic kos ‘blackbird’ as in 1; alternatively from Hebrew kos ‘drinking glass’ or Yiddish kos ‘goblet cup’ probably applied as a metonymic occupational name for someone who made glasses or cups. Dutch: from a pet form of the personal name Constantius (see Constant ). Hungarian (Kós): from kos ‘ram’ a loanword from Ottoman Turkish qoç (compare Koc ); perhaps a metonymic occupational name for a shepherd but more probably a nickname for someone thought to resemble the animal.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022