The Cross surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 77,557 people carried this name — #420 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,800 people counted. That is up 3% from 75,134 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Cross surname
A topographic surname from Middle English for someone who lived near a stone cross on a road.
As a German surname, Americanized from Kross, from Middle Low German krus (“pitcher, vessel”), which is possibly an old Germanic borrowing of Ancient Greek κρωσσός (krōssós, “pitcher, pail, urn”). Also a variant of Kress.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Cross» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 19 births for the Cross name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Dublin, Cork, and Armagh.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 118 people named Cross live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Córdoba.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 73 people named Cross.
Most of them — 50 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
34 people named Cross live in Switzerland.
They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In the Nordic population registers
88 people named Cross are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Cross in American newspapers,
1917–1926.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 4,839,454 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Cross,
with a public archive behind them.
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Helen Cross d. 2022 · politician
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Diana Cross d. 1998 · aristocrat
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Ronald Cross d. 1999 · metalworker
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John Cross d. 1939 · jewelry designer
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John Closs d. 1805
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John Cross d. 1936
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Cross.
- Cromer 7,952 · U.S. census
- Cron 2,366 · U.S. census
- Crone 5,555 · U.S. census
- Cronier 140 · U.S. census
- Crosetti 168 · U.S. census
- Crosland 1,195 · U.S. census
- Crosse 368 · U.S. census
- Crosson 3,085 · U.S. census
- Crosta 226 · U.S. census
- Croteau 4,525 · U.S. census
- Crotti 129 · U.S. census
- Crouchet 143 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Cross is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.