The Gross Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Gross, its origins in Germany, and the story behind a Gross family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gross coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Gross name
Gross, in German Groß, is a nickname from Middle High German grōz, "big, tall, stout", for a large man, or for the elder of two bearers of the same name. Nicknames for size were among the earliest German surnames. It is common throughout Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and among German Americans as Gross and Grose.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Gross name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Gross name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Austria and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Gross family history
The complete Gross pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Gross name FAQ
What does the Gross name mean?
Big, tall. Common variants include Groß, Grosse, Grossmann.
Where does the Gross surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in Switzerland, Austria and the United States.
Is there a Gross coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Gross crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gross coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).