Contents [hide]

Gross History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Gross History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Germany

The name Gross is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It was a name for someone who was a person who because of their physical characteristics was referred to as the gross man or the heavy man. At times, it was a personal name and variant of Grace. 1

Early Origins of the Gross family

The surname Gross was first found in Cornwall where the first record of the family was found in "Trescobays, or Triscobays, [which] was formerly inherited by the family of Grosse; after which it was purchased by Sir Peter Killigrew, together with the barton of Howard as a parcel of Tregangy." 2

"During [the reign of Elizabeth] four-fifths [of the manor of Rosmoddris] was granted to St. George Carye, and sold by him to Ezekiel Grosse, Esq. whose family had an ancient seat at Triclodevas in this parish." 2

"Leah or Leigh, [in the parish of St. Buryan, Cornwall] now occupied by a farmer, was anciently a seat of the Grosse family, and afterwards of the Usticks." 2

Not withstanding the Cornish origin of the name, some of the family may have originated elsewhere. By example, Willelmus filius grosse was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 in Suffolk. The same source also lists Willelmus Grossus in Norfolk. 3

Later in Yorkshire, Geraldus filius Grossi was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. Adam le Gros was listed at Holme in Norfolk 1186-1210 and Wiliam le Groos was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1314. 1

Early History of the Gross family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gross research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1190, 1596, 1618, 1632, 1633 and 1654 are included under the topic Early Gross History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gross Spelling Variations

Gross has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Gross have been found, including Gross, Grosse, Grose and others.

Early Notables of the Gross family

Notables of the family at this time include

Alexander Grosse (1596?-1654), English Presbyterian divine, born about 1596, the son of William Grosse, husbandman of Christow, Devonshire...
On the death of Henry Wallis in January 1633, Grosse was elected by the corporation of Plymouth to the vicarage of St...

Gross Ranking

In the United States, the name Gross is the 416^th most popular surname with an estimated 67,149 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Gross is ranked the 956^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,483 people with that name. 5

Gross migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Grosss to arrive on North American shores:

Gross Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sampson Gross, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 6

Gross Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Gross, who arrived in New York in 1709 6
Johan Jorg Gross, who landed in New York in 1709 6
William Gross, his wife and two children, who settled in America in 1709
Hendrick Gross, who arrived in New York in 1709 6
Conrad Gross, who arrived in America in 1712 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gross Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

G A Gross, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1802 6
Fred Wilch Gross, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 6
Frederic Gross, aged 40, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 6
Hannah Gross, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 6
Johann Gross, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1806 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gross Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Leo Gross, who arrived in Mississippi in 1902 6
Fred Gross, who arrived in Alabama in 1913 6

Gross migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gross Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Maria Gross, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1757
Ms. Catherine Gross U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 524 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 7
Ms. Elizabeth Gross U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 523 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 7
Ms. Mary Gross U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 522 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 7

Gross migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Gross Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Matthew Gross, (b. 1828), aged 25, Cornish agricultural labourer departing from Plymouth on 3rd February 1853 aboard the ship "Bride" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 17th May 1853 8
Mrs. Mary Gross, (b. 1831), aged 22, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth on 3rd February 1853 aboard the ship "Bride" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 17th May 1853 8
Mr. Gross, (b. 1853), aged Infant, Cornish settler born aboard the ship "Bride" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 17th May 1853 8
Matilda Gross, aged 30, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Thetis" 9

Gross migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Gross Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Edwin F. Gross, (b. 1854), aged 20, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Dorette" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 14th April 1874 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Gross (post 1700) +

Dærick Gröss Sr. (1947-2023), American illustrator, writer, editor, and art director
Sam Gross (1933-2023), American cartoonist, specializing in single-panel cartoons, a regular contributor to The New Yorker
Jane Gross (1947-2022), American sportswriter who wrote for Newsday and The New York Times, the first woman known to have entered a professional basketball locker room in 1975
Kenneth Irwin Gross (1938-2017), American mathematician, two-time divisional program director for the National Science Foundation, awarded the Lester Randolph Ford Award (1979), the Chauvenet Prize (1981 and was Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2012)
Robert A. Gross (1927-2018), American physicist, recipient of the Fulbright Scholarship and a Guggenheim Fellowship, fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Donald John "Don" Gross (1931-2017), American Major League Baseball player who played for the Cincinnati Redlegs (1955–1957) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (1958–1960)
Michael C. Gross (1945-2015), American artist, designer, and film producer, perhaps best remembered for designing the logo for the movie Ghostbusters
Rita Gross (1943-2015), American Buddhist feminist theologian and author
Sarah "Sally" Gross (1933-2015), born Sarah Freiberg, an American postmodernist dancer
Brigadier-General Merwin Eugene Gross (1900-1946), American Commandant of the Army Air Force Institute of Technology (1946) 11
... (Another 100 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gross family +

Fraterville mine

Mr. William F. Gross (d. 1902), American coal miner at Fraterville mine in Tennessee, on the 19th May 1902 when an explosion collapsed the mine; he died 12

USS Arizona

Mr. Milton Henry Gross, American Chief Storekeeper Assigned from California, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 13

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
South Australian Register Friday 1st September 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Emigrant 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/thetis1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 11) Merwin Gross. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Gross/Merwin_Eugene/USA.html
News paper article Fraterville Mine Disaster retrieved on 6th August 2021. (Retrieved from http://www.tn.gov/tsla/exhibits/disasters/fraterville.htm).
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html