NameCensus.

UK surname

Gross

An occupational surname referring to someone of large stature or a head of a household.

In the 1881 census there were 551 people recorded with the Gross surname, ranking it #6,263 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,233, ranked #4,837, up from #6,263 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Woodbridge. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Salford and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Gross is 1,264 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 123.8%.

1881 census count

551

Ranked #6,263

Modern count

1,233

2016, ranked #4,837

Peak year

2014

1,264 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Gross had 551 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,263 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,233 in 2016, ranked #4,837.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 965 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Gross surname distribution map

The map shows where the Gross surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Gross surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Gross over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 365 #6,492
1861 historical 478 #5,458
1881 historical 551 #6,263
1891 historical 607 #6,324
1901 historical 813 #5,549
1911 historical 965 #4,682
1997 modern 1,149 #4,886
1998 modern 1,203 #4,868
1999 modern 1,205 #4,914
2000 modern 1,194 #4,929
2001 modern 1,165 #4,939
2002 modern 1,201 #4,902
2003 modern 1,191 #4,838
2004 modern 1,173 #4,902
2005 modern 1,155 #4,928
2006 modern 1,113 #5,096
2007 modern 1,130 #5,069
2008 modern 1,148 #5,029
2009 modern 1,160 #5,094
2010 modern 1,196 #5,057
2011 modern 1,217 #4,916
2012 modern 1,214 #4,867
2013 modern 1,250 #4,819
2014 modern 1,264 #4,805
2015 modern 1,246 #4,821
2016 modern 1,233 #4,837

Geography

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Where Gross' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Woodbridge and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Salford and Barnet. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Woodbridge Suffolk
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 001 Hackney
2 Hackney 003 Hackney
3 Hackney 029 Hackney
4 Salford 010 Salford
5 Barnet 035 Barnet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Gross

These lists show first names that appear often with the Gross surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Gross

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Gross, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Gross surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Gross household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Gross is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Gross is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Gross falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Gross is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Gross, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Gross

The surname Gross has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. Derived from the German word 'gross', meaning 'large' or 'great', the name was likely originally a nickname or descriptive name given to someone of considerable stature or size.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gross can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. Here, a certain Rudiger Gross is mentioned as a resident of the town of Nuremberg in 1274.

The name Gross also appears in various medieval records and manuscripts from across German-speaking regions. For example, in the Annales Xantenses, a chronicle from the 14th century, a knight named Konrad Gross is mentioned as participating in a battle near the town of Xanten in 1348.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Gross became increasingly common throughout Germany and neighboring areas. Notable individuals with the name during this period include the theologian and reformer Johannes Gross (1504-1584), who played a key role in the Protestant Reformation.

As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Gross spread to new regions. One prominent figure from this time was the German-American businessman and philanthropist Jacob Gross (1765-1839), who founded the city of Grossdale, Pennsylvania.

Other notable individuals with the surname Gross throughout history include the French painter René Gross (1910-1984), known for his landscapes and still-life paintings, and the British philosopher and logician Herbert Gross (1893-1979), who made significant contributions to the field of analytic philosophy.

More recently, the surname Gross has been carried by individuals such as the American writer and academic David Gross (born 1941), who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004, and the German-American film director Katharina Gross (born 1965), whose work often explores themes of identity and cultural heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Gross families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Gross surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 157 Gross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.87x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 157 2.87x
Suffolk 59 8.87x
Northamptonshire 53 10.32x
Surrey 50 1.88x
Yorkshire 42 0.78x
Lancashire 30 0.46x
Essex 23 2.13x
Norfolk 22 2.62x
Worcestershire 17 2.38x
Kent 11 0.59x
Lincolnshire 10 1.14x
Somerset 9 1.02x
Gloucestershire 8 0.75x
Nottinghamshire 8 1.09x
Warwickshire 8 0.58x
Isle of Man 7 6.90x
Cambridgeshire 5 1.45x
Devon 4 0.35x
Durham 4 0.25x
Lanarkshire 4 0.23x
Sussex 4 0.43x
Cornwall 3 0.49x
Derbyshire 3 0.35x
Hampshire 3 0.27x
Staffordshire 3 0.16x
Ayrshire 2 0.49x
Buteshire 2 6.04x
Channel Islands 2 1.24x
Shropshire 2 0.42x
Bedfordshire 1 0.35x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.30x
Leicestershire 1 0.17x
Oxfordshire 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 1.54x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 47 Gross' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.81x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 47 19.81x
Leeds 21 6.87x
Bermondsey 16 9.84x
Northampton All Sts 14 80.32x
St George Hanover Square 14 14.55x
Woodbridge 14 164.51x
Islington London 13 2.46x
Mile End Old Town London 12 10.32x
Great Yarmouth 11 15.81x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 10 80.06x
Heigham 10 22.18x
Newington 10 4.96x
Northampton St Giles 10 51.10x
Bedminster 9 10.89x
Dudley 9 10.38x
Camberwell 8 2.29x
Deptford St Paul 8 5.56x
Rushden 8 116.45x
Moulton 7 244.76x
Poplar London 7 6.79x
Rushen 7 102.04x
Sheffield 7 4.06x
St Pancras London 7 1.59x
Barrow In Furness 6 6.81x
Clifton 6 11.08x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 6 405.41x
St Marylebone London 6 2.06x
Aston 5 1.32x
Bawdsey 5 617.28x
Broughton In Salford 5 8.44x
Chelsea London 5 3.04x
Clifton 5 102.88x
Great Oakley 5 289.02x
Harby 5 757.58x
Kingston On Thames 5 7.82x
Paddington London 5 2.49x
Redditch 5 34.58x
St Andrewthe Less 5 12.65x
Sudbury St Gregory 5 93.81x
Wollaston 5 176.68x
Barony 4 0.89x
Broughton 4 243.90x
Bucklesham 4 666.67x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 3.63x
Hackney London 4 1.31x
Kirkley 4 71.81x
Lambeth 4 0.84x
Owston 4 161.29x
Ramsey 4 281.69x
Shoreditch London 4 1.69x
St Giles In Fields London 4 14.93x
Walthamstow 4 10.31x
Whitechapel London 4 7.43x
Bredfield 3 370.37x
Chelveston Cum Caldecott 3 379.75x
Ilkestonderbypart 3 120.00x
Leyton Low 3 13.69x
Warley Wigorn 3 132.16x
Westminster St John 3 4.51x
Birmingham 2 0.44x
Bury St Edmunds St James 2 11.25x
Cheetham 2 4.14x
Epsom 2 15.42x
Exeter St Sidwell 2 7.68x
Haughton Le Skerne 2 149.25x
Ipswich St Margaret 2 8.86x
Kensington London 2 0.66x
Kilmarnock 2 4.11x
Liverpool 2 0.51x
Portsea 2 0.91x
Rothesay 2 12.48x
Spitalfields London 2 4.87x
St George In East London 2 3.89x
St Lawrence 2 15.61x
St Luke London 2 2.28x
St Peter 2 42.83x
Wednesbury 2 4.34x
West Derby 2 1.05x
Woking 2 12.47x
Wrockwardine 2 19.27x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Gross surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 23
Sarah 21
Elizabeth 11
Emma 11
Emily 9
Alice 7
Ann 7
Annie 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Catherine 5
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Louisa 5
Ada 4
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Lucy 4
Maria 4
Sophia 4
Amy 3
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Grace 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Laura 3
Adelaide 2
Dora 2
Edith 2
Eva 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Lottie 2
Mariah 2
Marion 2
Martha 2
Maud 2
May 2
Nellie 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Susanah 2
Susannah 2
Betsy 1
Eleanor 1
Eliz. 1
Eliz.H. 1
Elizab. 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Gross surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 26
William 25
George 15
Henry 12
Thomas 12
Charles 11
Edward 11
James 10
Alfred 9
Arthur 9
Robert 7
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Joseph 6
Richard 6
Samuel 6
Walter 6
Albert 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 3
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Herbert 3
Mortimer 3
Benjaman 2
David 2
Ludwig 2
Theodore 2
Thos. 2
Adolf 1
Alexander 1
Authur 1
Benjmin 1
Elias 1
Emilius 1
Felix 1
Frances 1
Frank 1
Fredk 1
Fredr. 1
Fredrick 1
G. 1
Hermann 1
Huzuit 1
Hyman 1
Jacob 1
Jesse 1
Johann 1
Joshua 1
Woolnough 1

FAQ

Gross surname: questions and answers

How common was the Gross surname in 1881?

In 1881, 551 people were recorded with the Gross surname. That placed it at #6,263 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Gross surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,233 in 2016. That gives Gross a modern rank of #4,837.

What does the Gross surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone of large stature or a head of a household.

What does the Gross map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Gross bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.