Ross
Ross was given to 122 boys in 2025, #1,465 among boys’ names; 82,293 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 55,900 Americans named Ross and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (68% of everyone recorded); the median is 44 years old and half are between 35 and 61.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Ross by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Ross mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Ross is “a male given name transferred from the surname, of early 19th century and later usage.” Its etymology gives the senses “promontory” (ros) and “moor, heath” (rhos).
As a Scottish surname, from several places such as Roose in Cumbria or Roos in Yorkshire, both from Scottish Gaelic ros (“promontory”) or a Brythonic parallel of its source such as Welsh rhos (“moor, heath”). There were also several Norman families in Scotland who took their name from Rots in Calvados. Compare Rose, Rhodes.
As an English surname, from Wrose in Shipley, with loss of initial w.
As an English and German surname, from derivatives of the old Germanic root common in names *hrōþi (“fame”). Compare Rossell.
As a Cornish surname, from several places in Cornwall deriving from ros (“heathland”), related to the above Celtic word meaning “heath” or “promontory.” See Rouse.
As a Jewish and German occupational surname for a breeder of horses, from the regional/poetic noun Ross (“horse”). Doublet of horse.
Also as a Jewish surname, Americanized from Rose.
/ɹɔs/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Ross?
#1,465 among boys’ names, 2025
Ross fell from #1,165 in 2015 to #1,465 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 83.5 to 71.4 per million.
1,898 babies in 1985, the peak
Ross peaked in 1985, when 1,898 babies were given it (1,884 boys, #147 among boys’ names). The 122 births of 2025 are 6% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | #1,465 | 0.07 |
| 2024 | 139 | #1,361 | 0.08 |
| 2023 | 116 | #1,527 | 0.07 |
| 2022 | 151 | #1,280 | 0.09 |
| 2021 | 148 | #1,286 | 0.08 |
| 2020 | 136 | #1,324 | 0.08 |
| 2019 | 134 | #1,346 | 0.07 |
| 2018 | 177 | #1,108 | 0.10 |
| 2017 | 162 | #1,162 | 0.09 |
| 2016 | 191 | #1,040 | 0.10 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 160 | #1,165 | 0.08 |
| 2014 | 185 | #1,064 | 0.10 |
| 2013 | 194 | #1,011 | 0.10 |
| 2012 | 212 | #955 | 0.11 |
| 2011 | 214 | #934 | 0.11 |
| 2010 | 219 | #923 | 0.11 |
| 2009 | 227 | #911 | 0.11 |
| 2008 | 258 | #844 | 0.13 |
| 2007 | 263 | #812 | 0.13 |
| 2006 | 283 | #748 | 0.14 |
| 2005 | 313 | #672 | 0.16 |
| 2004 | 351 | #612 | 0.18 |
| 2003 | 378 | #583 | 0.19 |
| 2002 | 425 | #530 | 0.22 |
| 2001 | 503 | #471 | 0.26 |
| 2000 | 561 | #434 | 0.29 |
| 1999 | 667 | #386 | 0.35 |
| 1998 | 789 | #341 | 0.41 |
| 1997 | 796 | #331 | 0.42 |
| 1996 | 1,041 | #271 | 0.55 |
| 1995 | 1,047 | #268 | 0.55 |
| 1994 | 838 | #311 | 0.43 |
| 1993 | 942 | #296 | 0.48 |
| 1992 | 1,277 | #231 | 0.64 |
| 1991 | 1,446 | #216 | 0.72 |
| 1990 | 1,619 | #190 | 0.79 |
| 1989 | 1,787 | #168 | 0.89 |
| 1988 | 1,768 | #158 | 0.92 |
| 1987 | 1,666 | #162 | 0.89 |
| 1986 | 1,775 | #152 | 1.0 |
| 1985 | 1,884 | #147 | 1.0 |
| 1984 | 1,744 | #155 | 1.0 |
| 1983 | 1,343 | #186 | 0.75 |
| 1982 | 1,465 | #179 | 0.81 |
| 1981 | 1,240 | #200 | 0.69 |
| 1980 | 1,038 | #230 | 0.58 |
| 1979 | 1,002 | #227 | 0.58 |
| 1978 | 919 | #229 | 0.56 |
| 1977 | 822 | #250 | 0.50 |
| 1976 | 680 | #279 | 0.43 |
| 1975 | 678 | #283 | 0.43 |
| 1974 | 674 | #279 | 0.43 |
| 1973 | 715 | #266 | 0.46 |
| 1972 | 708 | #274 | 0.44 |
| 1971 | 857 | #261 | 0.48 |
| 1970 | 881 | #258 | 0.47 |
| 1969 | 885 | #244 | 0.49 |
| 1968 | 844 | #245 | 0.49 |
| 1967 | 797 | #253 | 0.46 |
| 1966 | 916 | #234 | 0.51 |
| 1965 | 987 | #233 | 0.53 |
| 1964 | 1,023 | #239 | 0.51 |
| 1963 | 1,127 | #224 | 0.55 |
| 1962 | 1,134 | #226 | 0.55 |
| 1961 | 1,024 | #246 | 0.48 |
| 1960 | 1,044 | #248 | 0.49 |
| 1959 | 1,027 | #248 | 0.48 |
| 1958 | 1,032 | #242 | 0.49 |
| 1957 | 954 | #247 | 0.44 |
| 1956 | 991 | #233 | 0.47 |
| 1955 | 1,028 | #224 | 0.50 |
| 1954 | 1,000 | #219 | 0.49 |
| 1953 | 921 | #221 | 0.47 |
| 1952 | 908 | #218 | 0.47 |
| 1951 | 883 | #220 | 0.47 |
| 1950 | 769 | #236 | 0.43 |
| 1949 | 763 | #233 | 0.43 |
| 1948 | 720 | #239 | 0.41 |
| 1947 | 790 | #231 | 0.43 |
| 1946 | 650 | #240 | 0.40 |
| 1945 | 555 | #240 | 0.41 |
| 1944 | 564 | #240 | 0.41 |
| 1943 | 584 | #243 | 0.41 |
| 1942 | 556 | #241 | 0.40 |
| 1941 | 513 | #245 | 0.42 |
| 1940 | 458 | #261 | 0.40 |
| 1939 | 480 | #240 | 0.43 |
| 1938 | 479 | #245 | 0.43 |
| 1937 | 465 | #250 | 0.44 |
| 1936 | 475 | #239 | 0.46 |
| 1935 | 427 | #262 | 0.41 |
| 1934 | 443 | #255 | 0.43 |
| 1933 | 414 | #258 | 0.42 |
| 1932 | 423 | #266 | 0.41 |
| 1931 | 452 | #253 | 0.43 |
| 1930 | 500 | #251 | 0.46 |
| 1929 | 414 | #274 | 0.38 |
| 1928 | 483 | #256 | 0.44 |
| 1927 | 453 | #268 | 0.40 |
| 1926 | 530 | #244 | 0.48 |
| 1925 | 559 | #235 | 0.50 |
| 1924 | 588 | #230 | 0.52 |
| 1923 | 575 | #230 | 0.52 |
| 1922 | 576 | #233 | 0.53 |
| 1921 | 514 | #248 | 0.47 |
| 1920 | 548 | #230 | 0.51 |
| 1919 | 569 | #219 | 0.58 |
| 1918 | 569 | #217 | 0.56 |
| 1917 | 503 | #220 | 0.54 |
| 1916 | 457 | #233 | 0.51 |
| 1915 | 451 | #226 | 0.53 |
| 1914 | 360 | #223 | 0.55 |
| 1913 | 300 | #215 | 0.59 |
| 1912 | 240 | #223 | 0.56 |
| 1911 | 140 | #211 | 0.62 |
| 1910 | 103 | #232 | 0.53 |
| 1909 | 81 | #246 | 0.49 |
| 1908 | 99 | #207 | 0.64 |
| 1907 | 76 | #236 | 0.52 |
| 1906 | 88 | #202 | 0.66 |
| 1905 | 74 | #223 | 0.56 |
| 1904 | 73 | #218 | 0.57 |
| 1903 | 67 | #222 | 0.56 |
| 1902 | 90 | #186 | 0.73 |
| 1901 | 72 | #199 | 0.68 |
| 1900 | 83 | #217 | 0.55 |
| 1899 | 95 | #159 | 0.89 |
| 1898 | 75 | #199 | 0.61 |
| 1897 | 62 | #213 | 0.55 |
| 1896 | 83 | #198 | 0.69 |
| 1895 | 73 | #198 | 0.62 |
| 1894 | 110 | #141 | 1.0 |
| 1893 | 76 | #192 | 0.68 |
| 1892 | 90 | #176 | 0.74 |
| 1891 | 86 | #156 | 0.85 |
| 1890 | 101 | #141 | 0.91 |
| 1889 | 115 | #122 | 1.0 |
| 1888 | 90 | #168 | 0.74 |
| 1887 | 85 | #149 | 0.84 |
| 1886 | 107 | #127 | 1.0 |
| 1885 | 109 | #127 | 1.0 |
| 1884 | 110 | #131 | 1.0 |
| 1883 | 88 | #147 | 0.84 |
| 1882 | 96 | #143 | 0.84 |
| 1881 | 82 | #151 | 0.81 |
| 1880 | 69 | #185 | 0.62 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Ross a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Ross has been given almost only to boys: 421 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Ross: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Ross, and how old are they?
55,900 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 68% of the 82,293 Americans ever recorded as Ross. The median Ross alive today is 44 years old; half are between 35 and 61.
The 2020 Census counted 59,341 people named Ross (576 women and girls, 58,765 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 58,945 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,800 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 12,000 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 11,900 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 21,800 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 6,350 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 2,030 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Ross born?
The states with the most babies named Ross are California, Texas and New York, with 22% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 6,425 | #2,412 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 5,340 | #1,286 | 0.9× |
| New York | 4,950 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Pennsylvania | 4,246 | #1,077 | 0.9× |
| Illinois | 4,206 | #1,116 | 1.0× |
| Ohio | 4,148 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Michigan | 3,775 | #759 | 1.2× |
| Minnesota | 2,940 | not ranked | 1.8× |
| Indiana | 2,414 | #1,052 | 1.2× |
| Wisconsin | 2,387 | not ranked | 1.4× |
Where Ross is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Ross is most over-represented in Minnesota: since 1910 it was given 1.8 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Ross with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 82,389 babies since 1880, Ross is the most given (100% of them). In 2025 it was given to 122 of their 129 babies (95%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Ross
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Ross and names like it
- Compare Ross and RosseBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1980sRoss peaked in 1985.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Ross since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Ross: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1985The year the most babies were named Ross.
- The names of the MillennialsMost people named Ross alive today were born 1981-1996.
- Names starting with RMost given first.