The German province known as the Rhineland is the ancestral home of the Fist 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. Fist is a name for a person who was strong and pugnacious and was derived from the Old German word "fust," which meant "fist."
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Early Origins of the Fist family
The surname Fist 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.
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Early History of the Fist family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fist research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1540 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Fist History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Fist Spelling Variations
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Fist include Faust, Fauste, Fausst, Fausste, Fauss, Fausse and others.
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Early Notables of the Fist family
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fist Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Fist family
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Fist, or one of its variants above: Johann Philip Faust, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1732; Friedrich Faust arrived in Canada in 1783 at the age of 24; A. Faust came to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1820.
Germany
