Cross
A surname usually referring to the Christian cross, often for someone living by a cross or crossroads, or for a crusading or devotional association.
The #420 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,981 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cross is generally taken from the word for a cross, ultimately from Latin crux through Old English and Middle English forms. As a surname it could arise from residence by a wayside cross or crossroads, or as a devotional nickname connected with the Christian symbol. Some early spellings also reflect the Latinized forms De la Cruce or De la Croyz, which later became English Cross and Crosse.
History
Lower explicitly treated Cross as the same family of names as Crouch, explaining it through the Christian symbol and linking it with early spellings such as De la Cruce and Del Crosse. The name appears in medieval English records, and the quoted Lancashire family tradition places bearers at Wigan in the late 13th century and later at Crosse Hall in Liverpool and Chorley. The surname has remained common in England and later spread widely in the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower notes a Lancashire family of the name associated with Crosse Hall, showing how a simple religious symbol could become a hereditary place-name.
From the historical record
“Christian symbol — a Crusader. CROSS. This nnnie is sufficiently ex- plained under the article Crouch. CROSSE. " The family of De la Croyz, De Cruce, Del Crosse, Crosse, as the name is variously spelt in ancient deeds, were seated at Wigan, co. Lancaster, in the reign of Edw. I., and about the year 1350 were seated…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Cross
- George Eliot (1819–1880)
- Maggie Smith (1934–2024)
- Marcia Cross (b. 1962)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.