Kosick
My husband has in-laws in Northeastern Pennsylvania with this surname. These folks are of mixed Eastern European ancestry. Thoughts?

~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon
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Replies

The basis of this name would appear to be kos which means "blackbird" in Czech, Polish and other Slavic languages. Kosek, Kosik and Kosicki are all Polish surnames, Kosik is also a Czech surname. Kosicki could be from a place name, the others have diminutive endings.
On blackbirds, Hanks and Hodges, in the "Oxford Names Companion", have this to say; "Blackbirds had a reputation for being cunning or devious, so the nickname would have been used to refer to a smart or unscrupulous person."
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