Cruz is a Spanish and Portuguese word name meaning "cross", originally given in honor of the Holy Cross and long used as a surname as well. The soccer star David Beckham chose it for his son in 2005, which helped make it familiar far beyond Spanish-speaking families. In the United States Cruz rose from number 643 in 2000 to a peak of number 279 in 2013 and has stayed close to that level since, ranking number 331 in 2025.