Cruz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Spain

The prestigious surname Cruz originated in Spain, a country which has figured prominently in world affairs for hundreds of years.

Early Origins of the Cruz family

The surname Cruz was first found in Castile, in north central Spain.

Early History of the Cruz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cruz research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1082 and 1693 are included under the topic Early Cruz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cruz Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cruz, de Cruz, de la Cruz, Cruces, Cruzado and others.

Early Notables of the Cruz family

Prominent among members of the family

San Juan de la Cruz, sixteenth century Spanish mystic writer
sixteenth century poet Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, daughter of a Spanish father and a Mexican mother, considered to be Mexico's first important literary figure
seventeenth century philanthropist Sebastián de la Cruz, who founded the hospital of San Juan de Dios in Havana in 1693
eighteenth century Spanish dramatist Ramón de la Cruz
eighteenth century Spanish general Iñigo de la Cruz
nineteenth century Chilean military officer and politician José María de la Cruz
nineteenth century Cuban writer Manuel de la Cruz
nineteenth century Guatemalan military officer and politician Vicente Cruz
nineteenth century Spanish soprano Josefina Cruz de la Gassier
nineteenth century Venezuelan military officer José de la Cruz Paredes

Cruz Ranking

In the United States, the name Cruz is the 118^th most popular surname with an estimated 186,525 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Cruz is ranked the 3,060^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 2

Cruz migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cruz Settlers in United States in the 16th Century

Miguel de la Cruz, who sailed to America in 1513
Hernando de la Cruz, who sailed to Río de la Plata in 1535
Gabriel de la Cruz, who sailed to Hispaniola in 1536
Pedro de la Cruz, who sailed to Puerto Rico in 1537
Francisco de la Cruz, who sailed to New Spain in 1538
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cruz Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miguel DeLa Cruz, who landed in America in 1813 3
Manuel DeLa Cruz, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1816 3
Rafael DeLa Cruz, who landed in Texas in 1835 3
Maria DeLa Cruz, who landed in Texas in 1835 3
A Cruz, aged 24, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1838 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cruz Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Manuel Cruz, who arrived in Texas in 1910 3
Gregorio Cruz, who landed in Texas in 1910 3
Porfirio Cruz, who arrived in Texas in 1910 3
Santiago Cruz, who landed in Texas in 1910 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cruz (post 1700) +

Marie Louise Cruz (1946-2022), birth name of Sacheen Cruz Littlefeather, American actress, model, and Native American civil rights activist, best known for representing Marlon Brando at the 45th Academy Awards in 1973 where she declined the Best Actor award that he won for his performance in The Godfather
Alfredo Rico Cruz (b. 1944), American Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the Kansas City Royals in 1969
Rosalinda Santa Cruz, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972
Victor D. Cruz, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1972 4
Veronica Cruz, American politician, Representative from New York 16th District, 1982 4
Vergel Cruz, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 2008, 2012 4
Timothy J. Cruz (b. 1959), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 2004 4
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz, Canadian-born, American Republican politician, U.S. Senator from Texas (2013-), candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 election 4
Silvia Cruz, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 2004 4
Serena Cruz, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oregon, 2004 4
... (Another 32 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cruz family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Henry M. Cruz, American Mess Attendant First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 5

Citations +

"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html