The Gross surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 74,503 people carried this name — #440 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 3,960 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (74,285).
What the name means
The meaning of the Gross surname
A surname from Middle English, originally a nickname for a big man, from Middle English gros (“large”).
The village is named after Ben Gross, who kept a general store there.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Gross» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 3,349 people named Gross.
221 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 76 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.
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 Switzerland’s population statistics
2,792 people named Gross live in Switzerland.
They live in 25 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
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 Argentina’s national register
At least 1,607 people named Gross 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 Poland’s population register
1,518 people named Gross have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 1,926 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere 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 Belgium’s population register
At least 169 people named Gross 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 Antwerp.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
327 people named Gross 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
Gross in American newspapers,
1922.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,091,973 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Gross,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Heinrich Gross 1713–1765 · diplomat -
Antoine-Jean Gros 1771–1835 · painter -
William Hickley Gross 1837–1898 · Catholic priest -
Hans Gross 1847–1915 · judge -
Peter Alfred Gross 1849–1914 · painter
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 143 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Gross.
- Gros 2,947 · U.S. census
- Grosdidier 236 · U.S. census
- Groshens 136 · U.S. census
- Grosjean 667 · U.S. census
- Grosland 102 · U.S. census
- Grosman 398 · U.S. census
- Grosse 2,124 · U.S. census
- Grosser 1,049 · U.S. census
- Grosshans 488 · U.S. census
- Grossi 2,657 · U.S. census
- Grossmann 1,322 · U.S. census
- Grosso 4,069 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Gross 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.