Kos Family History

Slovenian, Croatian, Czech, and Polish: nickname from kos ‘blackbird’, denoting someone thought to resemble the bird in some way, for example someone with a good singing voice. This is a very common surname in Slovenia and Croatia. Czech and Sorbian (Koš): metonymic occupational name for a basketmaker, from koš ‘basket’. German (Kös): possibly a nickname for a gossip or a smooth-talker, from Middle High German kose, koese ‘talk’, ‘chat’. Compare Koser. Jewish (Ashkenazic): of uncertain origin. It may be an ornamental name from Slavic kos ‘blackbird’, as in 1, or alternatively it may be 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 Zeeland personal name derived from Constantius (see Constant). Hungarian (Kós): from a Turkish loanword kos ‘ram’ (from Old Turkish qoc, Ottoman Turkish qoç); 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 ©2013, Oxford University Press