Fun Facts About the Name Cross
- More than 1 thousand babies named Cross: U.S. records list 1,381 babies given the name Cross from 1880 through 2025. Even 6 girls received the name Cross - about 1 girl for every 229 boys.
What Does the Name Cross Mean?
Cross is an English surname used as a given name. Its established meaning is "dweller at the cross," from the Middle English cros and Old English cros, a word for a cross or crucifix. That word was borrowed from Old Irish cros, which in turn came from Latin crux (stem cruc-). The surname arose as a topographic name for someone who lived by a cross - typically a stone cross at a crossroads, market square, or churchyard. In Ireland, Cross is sometimes an Anglicized form of a Gaelic surname, but the exact Gaelic original varies and is not always certain. The literal sense is a physical cross or a place marked by one; the later Christian symbolism of the Crucifixion is a separate layer of meaning.
Cross Name History & Origins
The word cros entered Old English from Old Irish, which had adopted it from Latin crux. By the Middle Ages it was the standard English word for a cross, and it became a common element in English place names and surnames. Topographic surnames such as Cross described where a person lived: someone who lived by a wayside cross, a market cross, or a crossroads might be recorded as at the cross, and that byname could become hereditary. The surname is found in England, Scotland, and Ireland; in England it is also a habitational name from places named Cross, such as the village of Cross in Somerset. In Ireland, some families named Cross may descend from a Gaelic surname that was anglicized to Cross, but the details differ by family. As a given name, Cross is a modern transferred use of the surname. It is also identical to the English word for the Christian cross, so it can be chosen for that symbol, but the name comes from the surname rather than from an old first-name tradition.
How Popular is the Name Cross?
Cross has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,646 in 1998.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,589 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,960 | 78 | 0.0046% |
| 2024 | #2,441 | 56 | 0.0033% |
| 2023 | #2,225 | 64 | 0.0037% |
| 2022 | #2,300 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 2021 | #1,966 | 76 | 0.0043% |
| 2020 | #2,214 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 2019 | #2,593 | 50 | 0.0028% |
| 2018 | #3,462 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,256 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2016 | #3,794 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2015 | #3,094 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2014 | #2,716 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #2,675 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2012 | #4,032 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2011 | #3,813 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2010 | #3,189 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2009 | #2,460 | 52 | 0.0026% |
| 2008 | #2,959 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 2007 | #2,727 | 44 | 0.0021% |
| 2006 | #3,234 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 2005 | #2,373 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2004 | #2,319 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2003 | #2,158 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 2002 | #2,201 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2001 | #1,820 | 61 | 0.0031% |
| 2000 | #2,259 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 1999 | #2,141 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1998 | #1,646 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 1997 | #2,067 | 43 | 0.0023% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Cross Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Cross's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cross's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.