2000
#10,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Gros
A French surname derived from the Old French word "gros," meaning "big, thick, or fat."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,186 Americans carry the last name Gros. That puts it at #10,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gros surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,581
Census rank
#10,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,778 bearers of the surname Gros in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gros, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gros
The surname "GROS" has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "gros," which means "big" or "fat." This surname was likely given as a nickname to someone who was of a large or robust stature.
The earliest recorded instances of the name "GROS" can be found in medieval French records and manuscripts. One notable example is the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, which mentions several individuals with the surname "GROS" or similar spellings.
In the 12th century, a nobleman named Robert le Gros was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry II of England. He served as the Lord Chancellor of England from 1181 to 1182.
During the 13th century, a French knight named Raoul le Gros participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. He is mentioned in various chronicles and accounts of the crusade.
The name "GROS" was also associated with several place names in France, such as Gros-Réderching and Gros-Chastillon. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname "GROS" who owned or resided in those areas.
In the 15th century, a French poet and playwright named Jean Gros was renowned for his works, including the morality play "La Condamnation de Banquet." He was born around 1415 and is considered one of the earliest known playwrights in French literature.
Another notable figure with the surname "GROS" was Pierre Gros, a French scholar and historian who lived from 1627 to 1679. He wrote extensively on the history of France and was a member of the Académie Française.
As the surname "GROS" spread across Europe, it took on various spellings and variations, such as "Gross" in Germanic regions and "Grosso" in Italy. However, the core meaning and origin remained linked to the French word "gros" and its connotation of largeness or robustness.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gros
Among Census respondents with the surname Gros, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Gros bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Gros surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 2,433
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 142
- Black or African American3.9% · 109
- Two or more races2.4% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gros
Gros appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#10,809
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,947
+106 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 415 places
2020
#10,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,778
-169 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,394 | 2,841 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,809 | 2,947 | 1.00 | +106 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 415 places |
| 2020 | #10,954 | 2,778 | 0.93 | -169 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 145 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Gros surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,809 | #10,954 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,947 | 2,778 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.00 | 0.93 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gros bearers went from 2,947 to 2,778 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 145 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,809 to #10,954.
FAQ
Gros surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gros?
Name Census estimates that about 3,186 living Americans carry the surname Gros. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,581 residents.
How common is Gros?
Gros ranks #10,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,778 people with the surname Gros. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,186), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Gros.
Has Gros become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gros went from 2,947 recorded bearers to 2,778. That is a decrease of 169 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,809 to #10,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Gros?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gros, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Gros in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (2,433 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gros appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Gros (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Gros mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "gros," meaning "big, thick, or fat." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Gros (0.93 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Gros?
Find out how many people have the surname Gros on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.