Surname Grooß - Meaning and Origin
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Grooß: What does the surname Grooß mean?
The last name Grooß is a German name meaning “big” or “great”. It is a common name throughout Germany, particularly in the Rhineland region and in other parts of the country which border the Rhineland. The name is theorized to have originated from an old German word, grūse, which means “great” or “big”.
The surname is typically spelled with two “s” characters, with a single ‘o’, when spelt correctly. As in many other cases of German surnames, the letter “ß” is a substitution for a double “s”. It is used in similar phonetic circumstances, as well as to denote origins in German-speaking areas such as Austria and Switzerland.
The Grooß surname is thought to date back to 1550 when it was first recorded in records of Germany. It was likely an occupational name for a person who was a great or large landowner or perhaps one who owned a sizable amount of land, or perhaps a person who performed a job where size was an important factor.
Although the name is most associated with Germany, it can also be found in other parts of Europe. There are records of the Grooß surname in France and Italy, and the name is also found in the United States, Canada, and Australia, indicating that the name has since spread beyond its German origin.
Order DNA origin analysisGrooß: Where does the name Grooß come from?
The last name Grooß is most common today in Germany and Austria. It is of German descent, derived from the German word gross, which means "big" or "great". It is mainly found in Northern and Central Germany, as well as in Austria, but has spread to other parts of Europe, North and South America, and even Australia.
The earliest record of the Grooß name was around 1590 in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The name appears in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Kingdom of Prussia in the 18th century. Records also show the Grooß family took part in the great migration of Germans to America between 1750 and 1850. In America, the name became Gross or Groce, most likely because of the difficulty of accurately transcribing the pronunciation of the German letter “ß."
Today, Grooß is the 14th most common surname in Germany and 23rd in Austria. However, it is becoming increasingly rare in those countries due to low birth rates, intermarriage, and immigration. Despite this, there are still many Grooß around the globe who are proud to carry the name and its heritage.
Variations of the surname Grooß
The surname Grooß can have several variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common variant of this surname is Gross. Gross is a German surname derived from the word groß, meaning “large.”
Other variants and spellings of this surname could include Groß, Groce, Grove, Grozy, and Grooz.
Interestingly, variations of this surname in other languages and countries can include Grossman, Grosset, Groos, Grott, and Grotte.
It is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of this surname may slightly shift as the name travels from its origin. Language and geographical barriers may cause the name to deemed differently in other European countries. Additionally, the name may be written differently in documents such as marriage and immigration records depending on the person giving the information and the country of travel.
Over time, the surname Grooß has also been combined with other names to create surnames such as Grooßman, Grooßberger, Grooßschmid, and Grooßhans.
Ultimately, Grooß is a relatively common German surname and its variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin can be found in many countries, languages, and cultures around the world.
Famous people with the name Grooß
- Lothar Grooß: German racing cyclist who is best known for winning the German National Time Trial title twice in 1983 and 1984.
- Frederik Grooß: German footballer who currently plays for SV Werder Bremen II.
- Daniel Grooß: German journalist, author, and filmmaker.
- Jürgen Grooß: former football player, goalkeeper, and assistant coach for VfL Bochum.
- Walther Grooß: German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace who was alled in the Battle of Britain.
- Norbert Grooß: professor of Romance literatures and German Studies at the University of Bielefeld.
- Erna Grooß: Austrian alpine skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics.
- David Grooß: television director and actor from Germany.
- Klaus Grooß: Austrian sociologist whose research dealt with religion, media, communication, and networks.
- Ingeborg Grooß: Jewish German artist and survivor of the Holocaust.