English and French: nickname from Middle English, Old French
co(u)sin, cusin (Latin consobrinus), which in the
Middle Ages, as in Shakespearean English, had the general meaning
‘relative’, ‘kinsman’. The surname would thus have denoted a person
related in some way to a prominent figure in the neighborhood. In some
cases it may also have been a nickname for someone who used the term
‘cousin’ frequently as a familiar term of address. The old slang word
cozen ‘cheat’, perhaps derives from the medieval confidence
trickster’s use of the word cousin as a term of address to
invoke a spurious familiarity. The patronymics constitute the most
frequent forms of this name.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
132,871
Historical Documents & Family Trees with Cousin
Click on a place to view Cousin immigration records
The information for this chart came from the U.S. Immigration Collection at Ancestry.com.
You can find out where the majority of the Cousin families were living before
they immigrated to the U.S and learn where to focus your search for foreign records.
Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival, and destination.
Click on a circle in the chart to view Cousin immigration records
You can find out when most of the Cousin families immigrated
to the United States.
You can focus your search to immigration records dating from that era.
Immigration records can tell you an ancestor's name, ship name, port of departure,
port of arrival and destination.
Click on a circle in the chart to view Cousin birth and death records
An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your ancestors lived in harsh conditions.
A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in
your family.
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