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Cruz Name Meaning, Origins & History

Cruz

Pronunciation: KROOZ

Meaning Cross Origin Spanish Gender Unisex
BOYS RANK
#331
TREND
28
GIRLS RANK
#7,215
TREND
546
Peak Years
2013, 2012, 2014
Lowest Years
1902, 1903, 1906
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Cruz in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Cruz

  • More than 35 thousand babies named Cruz: U.S. records list 35,012 babies given the name Cruz from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 4,232 girls received the name Cruz - about 1 girl for every 7 boys.

What Does the Name Cruz Mean?

Cruz is a Spanish and Portuguese name meaning "cross." It comes from the Latin crux (genitive crucis), the ordinary word for a cross and, in Christian use, specifically the cross on which Jesus was crucified. In Spanish and Portuguese, the word became cruz, and it was adopted as both a surname and a given name. The given name is devotional: it refers to the Holy Cross rather than to a separate root meaning. As a surname, Cruz can also come from a place named for a cross or from a person who lived near one, so its family-name history is broader than its given-name meaning.

Cruz Name History & Origins

Cruz developed from the Latin crux, a word that in classical Latin meant a cross or gallows and in Christian Latin became closely tied to the Cross of Christ. As the Romance languages took shape, Spanish and Portuguese kept the form cruz. The word appears in religious place names and invocations, such as Santa Cruz ("Holy Cross") and Vera Cruz ("True Cross"), which helped establish it as a familiar element in naming.

In Spain, Portugal, and later Latin America, Cruz became a common surname. It could be taken from a place name, from a cross-shaped landmark, or from devotion to the Holy Cross. The same word also entered personal names, usually as a religious given name; in Spanish tradition it often appears in combined forms like María de la Cruz, while in English-speaking countries Cruz is used as a given name in its own right, often as a transferred surname.

How Popular is the Name Cruz?

Cruz recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2013. Its best rank was #279 in 2013.

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.

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 Cruz 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. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.

You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.

✦ Cruz's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cruz's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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