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Cross Family History

Cross Name Meaning

English: topographic name for someone who lived near a cross such as one set up by the roadside or in a marketplace from Middle English cros (Old English cros and Old Norse kross ultimately from Latin crux crucem). It is commonly Latinized in medieval records as ad crucem and de Cruce but examples of this can just as well belong to the synonymous but less common name Crouch . In a few cases the surname may have been given originally to someone who lived by a crossroads but this sense of the word seems to have been a comparatively late development. In other cases the surname (and its European cognates; see 3 below) may have denoted someone who carried the cross in processions of the Christian Church but in English at least the usual word for this sense was Crozier . Irish: shortened form of McCrossen . Americanized form (translation into English) of various European surnames meaning ‘cross’ or ‘the cross’ such as French Lacroix German Kreutz and Slovenian and Croatian Križ (see Kriz ). Americanized form of German Kross .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Ross, Gross, Croce, Bross, Crose, Croes, Crass, Cressy, Boss, Crosse

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Where is the Cross family from?

You can see how Cross families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cross family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cross families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 881 Cross families living in Ontario. This was about 48% of all the recorded Cross's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Cross families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cross surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Cross ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Cross. 37% of Cross men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Cross women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cross were Machinist and Income. .

View Census Data for Cross | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    37%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Laborer
    6%
  • Machinist
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    10%
  • Farmer
    9%
  • Income
    8%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Cross family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 730,000 census records available for the last name Cross. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cross census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Cross

Passenger Lists

There are 66,000 immigration records available for the last name Cross. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 147,000 military records available for the last name Cross. For the veterans among your Cross ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Cross lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Cross life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Cross in 1940 was 52, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cross

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