Groce
A surname usually linked to a nickname for someone considered “big” or “large,” though some bearers may share it with variants of Grose/Gross.
The #6,362 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 57,699 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is most likely related to Middle English and Anglo-French forms of gros, meaning “big,” “thick,” or “stout.” In medieval records, the same nickname appears in spellings such as Gros, Gross, Grose, and Groce, with spelling often varying by clerk and region. The underlying sense is descriptive: it originally identified someone by size or build.
History
The name is found in English records from the Middle Ages and later appears in several spelling forms, reflecting the loose orthography of the period. In modern usage, Groce is relatively uncommon and is often treated as a spelling variant within the broader Gross/Grose surname family. The census frequency in the United States suggests a small but established line of bearers, especially in English-speaking regions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old records show this surname sitting right beside other size-based names such as Mr. Measures and Mr. Gill in 19th-century surname discussions.
From the historical record
“Roger le Gros, co. Norf^20 £dw. I. 1673. Married— Charles Groce and Elia. Swollowe : St. Jas. Clerkenwell, iii. 177. 1678-9. John Manley and Anne Grosse: Marriaii;e All^. (Canterbur^r), p. 201.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)