The Cruz surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 334,201 people carried this name — #57 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 883 people counted. That is up 45% from 231,065 in 2000.
Where the name comes from
The origin of the Cruz surname
From Romance (Portuguese Cruz and Spanish Cruz).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Cruz» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 95,805 people named Cruz 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 Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
1,323 people named Cruz live in Switzerland.
They live in 24 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Geneva.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere 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 France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 788 people named Cruz.
Most of them — 405 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 54 départements, most often Haute-Savoie.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 68 people named Cruz live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Brussels-Capital.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
23 people named Cruz have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 148 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Subcarpathian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
245 people named Cruz 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
Cruz in American newspapers,
1847–1951.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 573,391 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Cruz,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Arsenio Cruz-Herrera 1863–1917 · politician -
Albino Souza Cruz 1870–1966 · businessperson -
Roberto Cruz 1888–1999 · military personnel -
José Cruz Herrera 1890–1972 · painter -
Ira Cruz 1901– · musician
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 174 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Cruz.
- Croy 4,018 · U.S. census
- Croze 109 · U.S. census
- Crozier 4,541 · U.S. census
- Crucet 129 · U.S. census
- Cruciani 248 · U.S. census
- Cruel 324 · U.S. census
- Cuadrado 1,558 · U.S. census
- Cuartero 138 · U.S. census
- Cucchi 375 · U.S. census
- Cucchiara 657 · U.S. census
- Cuccia 1,819 · U.S. census
- Cucco 313 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Cruz 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.