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At a Glance: Name: Cosette – Origin: French (literary coinage, popularized by Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, 1862) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: koh-ZET
Cosette is a French name created for literature rather than passed down through tradition — it first appeared as a character in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. You may have heard it explained as meaning 'little thing,' but that tidy explanation isn't backed by any dictionary; the name comes from the page, not from an older word. It's pronounced koh-ZET, and suits a child of any gender.
Meaning & Origin of Cosette
Origin: French (literary coinage, popularized by Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, 1862).
A common claim: Commonly said to mean 'little thing' Actually: This plausible-sounding gloss (from French 'chose' + diminutive '-ette') isn't confirmed by any dictionary source; Cosette is primarily a literary name rather than a traditional word-derived given name.
Source: Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Cosette
Phonetic: koh-ZET IPA: /koʊˈzɛt/
Popularity of Cosette
Cosette reached its highest point in U.S. baby name data in 2015, when 141 babies were given the name, ranking it #1554 that year. By 2024 it had cooled to #1909, given to 104 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1912–2024.
Make Cosette Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Cosette, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Cosette mean?
Commonly said to mean ‘little thing’ This plausible-sounding gloss (from French ‘chose’ + diminutive ‘-ette’) isn’t confirmed by any dictionary source; Cosette is primarily a literary name rather than a traditional word-derived given name.
How do you pronounce Cosette?
Cosette is pronounced koh-ZET (IPA: /koʊˈzɛt/).
Is Cosette a popular name right now?
Cosette peaked at #1554 in 2015 and is ranked #1909 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1912–2024.)
📊 How popular is Cosette? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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