Ross
Ross was the 1465th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 122 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 122nd; the most babies were born in 1985 (1,884). Over the last ten years it has moved down 300 places. More babies were named Ross in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning "headland, promontory" · Scottish Gaelic, English
Say it RAWS /rɔs/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,465 boys, down 141 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 122boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19851,884 babies
- Total since 1880
- 82,293babies recorded
What does the name Ross mean?
Ross is mainly a Scottish surname and place-name used as a first name. Most Scottish bearers take it from places such as the region of Ross in the Highlands, named with the Gaelic ros, "headland, promontory"; a related Brythonic word, Welsh rhos, means "moor". Wiktionary notes that some English families named Ross take the name from other places or from Norman families from Rots in Normandy. As a given name it is most common in Scotland.
ros (Scottish Gaelic, “headland, promontory”)
How sure is this? Probable. Several unrelated surnames have merged as Ross; the Gaelic "headland" origin is the usual one for Scottish bearers.
Related names: Rossi.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ross', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Ross (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Ross popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 421 since 1891.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,465 | 122 |
| 2020 | #1,324 | 136 |
| 2010 | #923 | 219 |
| 2000 | #434 | 561 |
| 1990 | #190 | 1,619 |
| 1980 | #230 | 1,038 |
| 1970 | #258 | 881 |
| 1960 | #248 | 1,044 |
| 1950 | #236 | 769 |
| 1940 | #261 | 458 |
| 1930 | #251 | 500 |
| 1920 | #230 | 548 |
| 1910 | #232 | 103 |
| 1900 | #217 | 83 |
| 1890 | #141 | 101 |
| 1880 | #185 | 69 |
How popular is Ross, counting every spelling?
Ross has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,381 for boys in 2025, against #1,465 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Ross?
122 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ross (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Ross born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 69 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ross.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ross?
About 55,600 people born in the US named Ross are alive today, with a median age of 44; half are between 35 and 61. That makes Ross mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ross by state
How common Ross was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (4.2×), Louisiana (3.0×), Missouri (1.9×). In 32 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ross: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ross, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ross · Sibling names for Ross
Questions about the name Ross
What does Ross mean?
Ross means “"headland, promontory"” (Scottish Gaelic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Ross?
Ross was the 1465th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 122 babies. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked 122nd; the most babies were born in 1985 (1,884). Over the last ten years it has moved down 300 places. More babies were named Ross in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Ross a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Ross in the US.
Where is Ross most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ross was most common in Utah (0.33 per 1,000 boys), followed by Louisiana and Mississippi.