Bross is a

patronymic A patronymic, or patronym, is a component of a personal name based on the given name of one's father, grandfather (avonymic), or an earlier male ancestor. Patronymics are still in use, including mandatory use, in many countries worldwide, al ...

surname of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

origin. The Latin name ''

Ambrosius Ambrosius or Ambrosios (a Latin adjective derived from the Ancient Greek word ἀμβρόσιος, ''ambrosios'' "divine, immortal") may refer to: Given name: *Ambrosius Alexandrinus, a Latinization of the name of Ambrose of Alexandria (before 21 ...

'' (of which "Bross" is a reduced form) was popular in early Christian Germany primarily because of the fame of Saint Ambrose of Milan (Aurelius Ambrosius), whose name comes from the Greek Αμβροσιος (''Ambrosios'') which means “immortal” or “divine.” The portion of the etymology of Aμβρόσιος from which Bross comes is βροτός (''Brotos'') which means "mortal."

Demographics

The 2000 United States Census records 2,486 individuals with the surname Bross living in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

and there are roughly 7,000 individuals worldwide. 159 live in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

though they are almost exclusively clustered in the regions to the extreme East, near the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political bo ...

with

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. Thus, 66 percent of Brosses live in the US, Germany, and France, with the greatest concentration found in the German state of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

centered around the western portions of the

Black Forest The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...

. There are several French names which begin with ''Bross'' but they are, insomuch as contemporary research can tell, not related to the German form. (Examples include

Brosseau Brosseau, a French surname, could mean: People * Claire Elyse Brosseau (b. 1977), Canadian actress and comedian * Christa Brosseau, Canadian chemist * Ruth Ellen Brosseau (b. 1984), Canadian Member of Parliament * Mike Brosseau Michael Dillon ...

and

Brossard Brossard (, , ) is a municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada and is part of the Greater Montreal area. According to the 2021 census, Brossard's population was 91,525. It shares powers with the urban agglomeration of Longueuil ...

In popular culture

*In the fictional

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

universe, Bross is the name of a starfighter pilot in the New Republic's Gold Squadron.Heir to the Empire Sourcebook by West End Games, p. 32
/ref>

Prominent people surnamed Bross

Eric Bross Eric Bross is an American film director. He has directed numerous films since 1995. He won the Directors Guild of America's Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs for ''The Boy Who Cried Werewolf'' (2010) on Nickelodeo ...

Mal Bross Matthew A. Bross (December 7, 1903 – February 8, 1989) was an American football back for the Los Angeles Wildcats of the American Football League (AFL) and the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footba ...

Rebecca Bross Rebecca Marie Bross (born July 11, 1993) is an American former artistic gymnast and six-time World Championship medalist. Personal life Rebecca Marie Bross is the daughter of Terry Bross and Donna Bross. She has one older brother named Benjami ...

Simón Bross Simón Bross (born February 22, 1960) is a Mexican film director, director and film producer, producer. As a director in advertising he has won at the world's most important festivals: London International Advertising Awards, New York Festival, ...

Stephen Decatur Bross Stephen A. Decatur (born 1813, died 1888 or 1889), born Stephen Decatur Bross and often referred to as Commodore Decatur, was one of the earliest settlers in Nebraska. He was born and educated in the East, where he became a school teacher and st ...

Terry Bross Terrence Paul "Terry" Bross (born March 30, 1966) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He bats and throws right-handed. Bross attended St. John's University. A two-sport star, Bross also started at center for the school's basketball team. ...

William Bross William J. Bross (November 4, 1813 – January 27, 1890) was an American politician and publisher originally from the New Jersey–New York–Pennsylvania tri-state area. He was also elected as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He en ...

References

{{reflist German-language surnames Patronymic surnames

Demographics

In popular culture

Prominent people surnamed Bross

See also

References