Ross
/rɒs/noun
A surname and place name of Scottish origin, and a given name in English.
Did you know?As a surname and place name, Ross is tied to Gaelic and Pictish place-history in northern Scotland, where names often preserved old landscape meanings long after the original language faded.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient/Pre-Scottish
Pictish/Gaelic
ros
“A promontory, headland, or wooded point of land”
Medieval Scotland
Gaelic
Ros
“A district or place name associated with a headland or promontory”
Middle English
English
Ross
“A surname taken from Scottish place names”
Modern English
English
Ross
“A family name, place name, and given name”