Fauss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

The German province known as the Rhineland is the ancestral home of the Fauss family. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics. Fauss is a name for a person who was strong and pugnacious and was derived from the Old German word "fust," which meant "fist."

Early Origins of the Fauss family

The surname Fauss was first found in Strasbourg, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family in Bavaria and in the Rhine region with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Fauss family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fauss research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1540 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Fauss History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fauss Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Fauss include Faust, Fauste, Fausst, Fausste, Fauss, Fausse and others.

Early Notables of the Fauss family

Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fauss Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fauss migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Fauss, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Fauss Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Abner C Fauss, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 1

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)