Family name origins & meanings
- 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’.