Ross first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Ross has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Ross

A masculine name of Scottish origin meaning "a promontory or headland".

Popularity of Ross by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ross is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Ross being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 115 male babies and 5 female babies born with the name Ross.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby girls were named Ross in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 115 5
2022 149 0
2021 147 7
2020 136 0
2019 133 0
2018 177 0
2017 162 6
2016 191 0
2015 160 8
2014 185 0
2013 194 0
2012 212 0
2011 214 0
2010 219 0
2009 227 0
2008 258 0
2007 261 0
2006 283 0
2005 313 0
2004 351 6
2003 378 6
2002 425 0
2001 503 0
2000 561 5
1999 667 5
1998 789 0
1997 796 0
1996 1,041 0
1995 1,047 0
1994 838 0
1993 942 0
1992 1,277 0
1991 1,446 6
1990 1,620 9
1989 1,787 10
1988 1,770 15
1987 1,666 7
1986 1,775 16
1985 1,884 14
1984 1,745 14
1983 1,344 11
1982 1,465 14
1981 1,240 0
1980 1,040 5
1979 1,002 11
1978 918 5
1977 822 0
1976 680 0
1975 678 6
1974 674 7

The history of the first name Ross

The name Ross is derived from the Gaelic word "ros," which means a promontory or headland. It is believed to have originated in Scotland, where it was used as a place name and later adopted as a personal name.

The name Ross has been in use since at least the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists several individuals with the surname Ross who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.

In the 16th century, Ross became a popular given name among Scottish families. One notable bearer of the name was Robert Ross (1590-1654), a Scottish minister and author who wrote several religious works.

Throughout history, the name Ross has been associated with various notable figures. One of the most famous was Sir John Ross (1777-1856), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic. Another was Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862), a British naval officer and explorer who discovered the Ross Sea and the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

In literature, the name Ross is perhaps most famously associated with the character of Ross Geller from the popular television sitcom "Friends." The character, played by actor David Schwimmer, was a paleontologist and one of the six main characters in the show.

Other notable individuals named Ross include Ross Perot (1930-2019), an American businessman and politician who ran for president in 1992 and 1996, and Ross Brawn (born 1954), a British motorsport engineer and former team principal of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team.

The name Ross has also been used in various works of fiction, including the character of Ross Poldark in the novels of Winston Graham and the subsequent television series of the same name.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ross was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ross, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ross first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 21, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ross-meaning-and-history/.

"Ross first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ross-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 21 December, 2024

Ross first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ross-meaning-and-history/.

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.