Given name & surname · also Latin
Cruz
“of the cross”
Cruz is used as a given name and a surname. One Spanish interpretation is “of the cross.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Spanish interpretation is “of the cross.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.
How it developed
From Ibaloi kurus (“the hanging of horns of sacrificed animals”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Cruz through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 35,024
- 30,792 boys · 4,232 girls
- Most popular year
- 2013
- 1,278 babies
- 2025
- 1,040
- #331 for boys · #7,215 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +2%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 98% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,025 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 331 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 2.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,250 in 2013. It also appeared in 15 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (268). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 33,737 as a first name in 2020; 342,580 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cruz’s family of names
Cruz has an affectionate form in Crucita. Cruz has a related form in Cruzito. Cruz has a related form in Cruiz.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Cruz has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
4 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Cruz
- Cruz HernándezSalvadoran supercentenarian (1878–2007)
- Cruz CarbajalMexican boxerborn 1974
- Cruz Laplana y LagunaSpanish priest (1875-1936)
- Cruz MedinaAmerican soccer playerborn 2006
- Cruz HewittAustralian tennis playerborn 2008
- Cruz BustamanteAmerican politicianborn 1953
- Cruz MartínezAmerican record producer, songwriter and musicianborn 1972
- Cruz López AguilarMexican politician1947–2021
- Cruz Gallástegui UnamunoSpanish veterinarian (1891-1960)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cruz, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Clark
“a cleric; a clerk”
98% boys · 2% girls
Titus
“of the giants” · “a great defender”
>99% boys
Noel
“born at Christmastime”
81% boys · 19% girls
Jorge
“one who works the earth; a farmer” · “farmer”
>99% boys
Andres
“manly; a warrior”
>99% boys
Max
“the greatest” · “from Mack's spring”
98% boys · 2% girls
Franco
“frenchman” · “a man from France; one who is free”
>99% boys
Dominic
“a lord”
>99% boys