Costner

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Surname of Kevin Costner, the American actor and director known for films such as Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams
2. The family name borne by Kevin Costner, an American film star who also directed and produced several notable movies
3. Refers to Kevin Costner, a well-known American actor famous for roles in Bull Durham and The Untouchables

Etymology: The surname is most likely a Anglicized form of the German "Kastner" or "Kästner," an occupational name for a man who kept a storehouse or granary. The German root is "Kasten," meaning a chest or storage box, so the name originally described a job rather than a person's looks or home. Spellings like "Costner" often came about when German names were written down in English-speaking countries, so the change may have happened in America rather than in Europe. The link to "Kastner" is the most plausible reading of the name's form and meaning, but it remains an inference rather than a documented line of descent.