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Fuchs History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Fuchs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Israel

The Fuchs surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Fuchs is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Fuchs was given to someone who lived in Franconia, where the name was closely identified in early medieval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history.

Early Origins of the Fuchs family

The surname Fuchs was first found in Franconia, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name is associated with ancient noble families from Tirol and Franconia, mentioned as knights in chronicles dating back to 1190. The Fuchs von Fuchsberg branch of Tyrol, where Ulrich Fuchs possessed a castle of the same name around 1267. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.

Early History of the Fuchs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fuchs research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1501, 1566, 1622, 1781, 1833 and 1902 are included under the topic Early Fuchs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fuchs 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 Fuchs include Fuchs, Fuchse, Fuchsen, Fuechs and others.

Early Notables of the Fuchs family

Prominent among members of the name Fuchs in this period include

Leonhard Fuchs (1501-1566), German physician and botanist, one of the three founding fathers of botany
the plant genus fuchsia bears his name

Fuchs Ranking

In the United States, the name Fuchs is the 3,225^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Fuchs is ranked the 1,037^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,169 people with that name. 2

Fuchs migration to the United States +

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 Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:

Fuchs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christoph Fuchs, who settled in New York in 1709-10
Adam Fuchs, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Philipp Fuchs, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Henrich Fuchs, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Peter Fuchs, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fuchs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John S Fuchs, aged 45, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
G Fuchs, aged 15, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
J Henry Fuchs, aged 19, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Eliz Fuchs, aged 12, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Catharine Fuchs, aged 5, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fuchs migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fuchs Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Johann Fuchs, who settled in Canada in 1783

Fuchs migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Fuchs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Franz Carl August Fuchs, aged 25, a gardener, who arrived in South Australia in 1847 aboard the ship "Hermann von Beckerath" 4

Fuchs migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Fuchs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Fuchs, (b. 1809), aged 33, British settler travelling from London and Plymouth aboard the ship "Thomas Sparks" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1843, the ship stuck rocks of the coast of Cape of Good Hope delaying her landing by 2 months 5
Mrs. Ann Fuchs, British settler travelling from London and Plymouth aboard the ship "Thomas Sparks" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1843, the ship stuck rocks of the coast of Cape of Good Hope delaying her landing by 2 months 5
Mr. Fuchs, (b. 1840), aged 2, British settler travelling from London and Plymouth aboard the ship "Thomas Sparks" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 31st January 1843, the ship stuck rocks of the coast of Cape of Good Hope delaying her landing by 2 months, he died on board 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Fuchs (post 1700) +

Victor Robert Fuchs (1924-2023), American health economist
Ruth Fuchs (1946-2023), German politician and athlete. For East Germany, she was the winner of the women's javelin at the 1972 (Munich) and 1976 (Montreal) Olympic Games
Anke Fuchs (1937-2019), née Nevermann, German Manager of the German Social Democratic Party, Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health (1982)
Hans Fuchs (b. 1926), German international finance official with the World Bank
Guenter Bruno Fuchs (1928-1977), German who despite his training as an artist, became a prominent satirical poet
Karl Fuchs, German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe, during World War II, credited with 67 aerial victories
Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015), Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor and architect, one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism
Jeno Fuchs (1882-1955), Hungarian winner of four gold Olympic medals at the 1908 and 1912 games
Richard Fuchs (1887-1947), New Zealand composer and architect
Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs (1908-1999), English explorer and geologist in Africa and Antarctica whose expeditionary team completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica in 1958

Historic Events for the Fuchs family +

Bismarck

Fritz Fuchs (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 6
Artur Fuchs (1917-1941), German Matrosenhauptgefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 6

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HERMANN VON BECKERATH 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847HermanVonBeckerath.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details