Ross
Boy name · Celtic · Gaelic · Latin · Scottish
Meaningheadland · Scottish
- US rank
- #1,459
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #122 in 1889
122 babies were named Ross in the US in 2025. It has dropped 139 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Ross you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Ross
Ross Barkley
English association football player (born 1993)
Choose Ross and your child shares a first name with Ross Barkley, an English association football player. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ross, like who?” Ross Barkley's Wikipedia article is available in 55 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Ross Barkley on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 14,006 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ross, 122 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ross would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryRoss has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Rosss, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1889, when it ranked #122. Today it's #1,459, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowRoss was 4.0× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 3,501 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 14,006.
- TrendRoss has slipped 139 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,459. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedRoss is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #515, followed by Louisiana (#591) and Michigan (#715). It's in the top 1,000 in 5 states.
- MeaningIn Scottish, Ross means “headland”. Our records link it to Celtic, Gaelic and Latin roots.
About the name Ross
Ross is a boy name of Celtic, Gaelic and Latin origin meaning “headland”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with R and ending in “-oss”. US birth records list Ross for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked #122 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #1,459, with 122 babies.
Origin:Celtic namesGaelic namesLatin namesScottish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 869 | 1,151 boys |
| 1890s | 750 | 1,334 boys |
| 1900s | 597 | 1,676 boys |
| 1910s | 557 | 1,794 boys |
| 1920s | 476 | 2,103 boys |
| 1930s | 431 | 2,319 boys |
| 1940s | 412 | 2,425 boys |
| 1950s | 470 | 2,128 boys |
| 1960s | 507 | 1,972 boys |
| 1970s | 479 | 2,087 boys |
| 1980s | 849 | 1,178 boys |
| 1990s | 534 | 1,873 boys |
| 2000s | 179 | 5,575 boys |
| 2010s | 98 | 10,191 boys |
| 2020s | 78 | 12,771 boys |
More Celtic boy names
- Unisex name: Owen · well-born
- Unisex name: Logan · little hollow
- Unisex name: Rowan · little red-haired one
- Unisex name: Nolan · descendant of Nuallán
- Unisex name: Cameron · crooked nose
- Boy name: Ian · God is gracious
- Unisex name: Gael · a Gael
- Boy name: Arthur · possibly bear
Questions about the name Ross
What does the name Ross mean?
Ross means “headland” in Scottish.
What is the origin of the name Ross?
Ross has Celtic, Gaelic, Latin, Scottish roots in our records. Other Celtic names include Owen, Logan, Rowan.
Is Ross a boy or girl name?
Ross is a boy name.
How popular is the name Ross?
Ross ranked #1,459 for US boys in 2025, given to 122 babies. Its best year was 1889 (#122).