Frequency: (238)
(number of times this surname appears in a sample database of 88.7 million names, representing one third of the 1997 US population)
Americanized spelling of any of various names of central and eastern European origin, all of them originating with reference to a coin, hence a metonymic occupational name for a moneyer or a nickname for a wealthy or money-conscious individual. Possible source names include German Grosch; Polish Grosz; Ukrainian Groshok, from groshi, denoting coins or money in general; and Russian Groshev, from grosh, a coin worth half a kopek. The relevant vocabulary word in all of these languages is derived from medieval Latin (denarius) grossus, literally ‘thick coin’.
See the Key to the Dictionary or consult the General Introduction for further explanation.
