Surname Kosil - Meaning and Origin
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Kosil: What does the surname Kosil mean?
The last name Kosil is a Slavic name that originated in Poland. The name is believed to have started as a professional or occupational name for a slaughterer or one who works with or shears sheep. Alternatively, the name might be derived from the Polish word koza, meaning “goat”.
The spelling of the last name as Kosil has been seen in both the Czech Republic and Poland, but is also found in other areas of Slavic Europe including Slovakia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. It is thought that many of those who bear the name Kosil are actually descended from a single ancestor and have a shared history.
Today, Kosil remains a relatively uncommon last name, and it is not often seen in mainstream media. That said, there are still plenty of Kosil families in Europe and, to a lesser extent, the United States. In addition to the Kosil families that originally emigrated from Poland, additional Kosil families have come from other Eastern European countries in recent years.
It is difficult to know how many people still bear the last name Kosil, but it is certain that people of the name can trace their history back to Polish and other Slavic countries. Just as the name itself suggests, anyone who is descended from an ancestor who bore the surname Kosil has a shared heritage and a connection to the land that gave them their unique name.
Order DNA origin analysisKosil: Where does the name Kosil come from?
The surname Kosil is a particularly interesting surname as it appears to be relatively uncommon today. It is not known to originate from any particular part of the world, however, the surname is found across many different countries. It is most commonly found in Poland where the surname is used as an alternate spelling of the Polish surname Kocyl, although this is not definitive. Outside of Poland, the last name is much less widely spread but still can be found across parts of Central and Eastern Europe, especially within the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine. There is also some evidence of the surname being found in the United States, specifically within the Hungarian-American communities of the states of New York and Pennsylvania. The evidence suggests that the surname is associated with Slavic language origins and could be derived from a given name or nickname. The actual meanings of these surnames, however, remain uncertain.
Variations of the surname Kosil
Kosil is a surname of Slavic origin which first emerged in East-Central Europe. It is believed to have originated in Poland or Slovakia and is derived from the ancient word kos, meaning ‘basket’. It is also associated with the Slavic word for ‘goose’, implying that the original bearer of the surname was somebody who was closely associated with either baskets or geese or both.
Kosil is often spelled in its shortened form, Kosl, and is sometimes written as Kosiel, Kosel, Košel, Koszl, Kosel, or Kosilkowski. It can also be found in variants from other countries, such as Kosilev (Bulgaria), Kosils (Russia), Košel (Czech Republic), and Koziol (Ukraine).
The surname is commonly found in the United States, having been brought over by emigrants from Eastern Europe. Anglicised versions of the surname can include Kessel, Kessels, Kesselman, Karel, Kossil, Koselz, Koselka, and Kosega.
The surname Kossil can also be used to refer to a family from the German state of Thuringia, as well the descendants of the of Kössels of Switzerland. Other variants of the surname are also found in Scandinavia, such as Kohsel and Kohsla.
The surnames Cohen, Cone, and Kingsley, however, are not related to the surname Kosil in any way.
Famous people with the name Kosil
- Pavel Košíl, Czech football midfielder
- Ljubomir Košíl, Serbian folk singer
- Joanna Kosil, American snowboarder
- John Kosil, American electrical engineer and professor
- Miriam Kosil-Elcott, Israeli diplomat
- Audra Kosil, Canadian artist
- Tania Kosil, Slovenian slalom canoeist
- Kim Kosil, Canadian musician
- Robert Kosil, Slovak stakes racehorse trainer
- Terry Kosil, American military veteran and former Iowa state legislator