Surname Fuks - Meaning and Origin

Fuks: What does the surname Fuks mean?

The last name Fuks originates from Eastern Europe, specifically Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, and Belarus. It is a patronymic name derived from the personal name Fuc, and was likely created by adding a Slavic ending to the root name. At times, the name was also written as Fux, Fuchs, Fuk, or Fuxmann.

The etymological meaning of Fuks likely comes from the old Germanic word for fox, or fuksa. Consequently, early Jewish records indicate that in some cases, the surname may have been adopted not only as a patronymic name, but as a toponymic, or place-name. For instance, the Ramat Fux refers to a piece of land from settlement in what is now central Israel.

In current American usage, the surname Fuks is fairly rare. However, it continues to be used in Europe and other parts of the world, often as a hyphenated name, such as Fuks-Sapir. As such, the surname continues to provide a connection to a rich and diverse ancestral heritage.

Fuks: Where does the name Fuks come from?

The last name Fuks is most commonly found in Europe, particularly in countries with large Jewish populations. It is most strongly associated with Jewish families from Eastern Europe. Specifically, Fuks can be found in Austria, Belarus, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. The name has been present in the region for centuries, with the earliest known written record dating back to 1645 in German documents from Prussia.

The last name Fuks is still common today, primarily in countries with historically large Jewish populations. In these countries, the surname often derives from the Yiddish word “Fueks”, meaning “fox”. It is also relatively common among Ashkenazi Jews in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Israel. Though not as common among Sephardic Jews, a few families in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America (including Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru) also carry the surname.

Given its Jewish roots, the Fuks surname is strongly associated with the cultural and religious heritage of this part of the world. As Jews have spread around the globe, so has the Fuks surname, providing evidence of Jewish migration and the long-standing presence of this family name in many parts of the world.

Variations of the surname Fuks

The surname Fuks is of Jewish Ashkenazi origin and is derived from the German word "Fuchs" meaning "fox." There are several variants, alternate spellings, and surnames of the same origin.

Variants:

Fux, Fuksman, Fuchs, Fuker.

Alternate Spellings:

Fewkes, Fuekes, Fuex, Fewx, Fuchsmann, Fukes, Fukuss.

Surnames of the same origin:

Fouks, Fouk, Folk, Fooks, Fock, Fockes, Fouksman, Fauntleroy, Falk, Folks, Fauk.

The surname Fuks has its roots in Eastern and Central Europe. It is most common among Jewish families of Polish, Czech, Slovak, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Estonian, and Latvian descent. The surname is also found in Hungary, Romania, Germany, and Austria, although it is much rarer.

In the United States, the surname Fuks is most common in New York and also found throughout New Jersey, California, Illinois, and Florida. The surname continues to be used in the Ashkenazi Jewish community today, although it is by no means exclusive to them.

Famous people with the name Fuks

• Ethan Fuks: Israeli pop star and actor
• Paul Fuks: South African-born Israeli Olympic runner
• Nathan Fuks: Guatemalan technology entrepreneur
• Moncho Fuks: Belgian-born comedian
• Yehoshua Fuks: Israeli artist
• Elad Fuks: Israeli entrepreneur
• Michal Fuks: Czech-born Canadian entrepreneur
• Rachel Fuks: Russian-born artist
• Yosef Fuks: Israeli photographer
• Miriam Fuks: Israeli medical researcher

Other surnames

Fukuda