COSSAR
Cossar is a surname of predominantly Scottish origin, with its earliest attestations dating to the early thirteenth century in the records of the English and Scottish courts.
The principal etymological explanation points to the Gaelic word cosair, meaning pirate or corsair. It is believed that the surname was originally a nickname describing an individual who had traits associated with seafaring daring and bravery, perhaps a trader or sailor who lived on the coasts of the Anglo‑Scottish frontier.
Alternate theories describe Cossar as a habitational name derived from the village of Cosar in the Borders region, or from the Cossar Farm in East Lothian. In that context the place name is thought to arise from the Old English words cosa (cushion) and sær (rush), describing the grass found in the area. The earliest recorded instance of the locative form is in 1250, when Raef de Cosere is mentioned as holding land in East Lothian, on the border with England.
A further variant of the surname is occupational. In Middle English the term corser (1200–1500) referred to a jobber or horse‑dealer; the surname later became hereditary and spread through Europe. Sample records from the London church registers of the mid‑sixteenth century show several baptisms of children with the surname Corser, e.g. Matthew, son of John Corser, christened on 21 September 1563 at St. James’, Garlickhithe.
There are numerous orthographic variants recorded in the historical record. These include Coursor, Corzor, Coarser, Corser, Corsor, Cosser, Corsar and Cossar in English usage, and Coucres, Coucer, and Coucou in France. In Ireland, variations such as Kimaler and Gamble have also been linked to the name, while in Scotland the forms Cossaray, Cossard, Cossal, Cosseray, and Cosserat appear in parish rolls.
During the seventeenth century, one William Corser sailed to Barbados aboard the ship Hopewell in February 1634, representing one of the earliest bearers of the surname to establish roots in the New World colonies. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, demographic pressures and economic opportunity prompted many families bearing the name to emigrate to Canada, the United States and Australia. Census data show that the surname remains common in Scotland and England, with significant concentrations in the greater Glasgow area and in central Scotland. In Canada the name is mainly found in Ontario and British Columbia, while in Australia it is present throughout all states and territories.
In Britain, the surname appears in the 1881 census among the top ten thousand most common names, reflecting its continued presence across the Scottish and English populations. It is occasionally recorded in Wales and in Northern Ireland, where it is generally considered a habitational name derived from estates or farms known as Cossar.
Overall, the surname Cossar demonstrates a long and varied history, with origins in Gaelic culture, medieval occupational practice and geographic identification, and a sustained presence throughout the British Isles and the wider English‑speaking world.
Typical given names associated with the Cossar surname
Male
- Alexander
- Alistair
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Justin
- Kevin
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Ryan
- Simon
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Annemarie
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jean
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Sheila
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cossar in...
Braille
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Morse
-.-.---.......-.-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 508 people named Cossar in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around eight in a million people in Britain are named Cossar.
Famous people named Cossar
- John Cossar - Actor (1858 to 1935)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.