Find out how popular the last name Foos is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Foos.

Foos, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Foos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Foos in America

Foos is the 13703rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Foos surname appeared 2,209 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Foos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Foos to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Foos

The surname FOOS originated in Germany, and its earliest recorded examples date back to the mid-16th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "fūs," meaning "eager" or "quick." It may have been initially used as a nickname for someone who was energetic or lively.

FOOS is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was commonly found in historical records and parish registers. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Hans Foos, born in Nuremberg in 1542, and Gertrude Foos, who was mentioned in a land deed from Augsburg in 1567.

The name FOOS was also present in the Donauried region of Germany, as evidenced by the existence of the village of Foosdorf, which likely took its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname FOOS. This village was first mentioned in a document from 1298, suggesting that the name may have existed even earlier.

During the Middle Ages, the FOOS surname appeared in various forms, such as Fusz, Fuoss, and Fues, reflecting the different regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable bearer of the name was Johann Foos, a German composer and organist who lived in the late 16th century and was known for his sacred music compositions.

In the 17th century, the FOOS name spread to other parts of Europe as a result of migration and trade. For instance, a merchant named Hans Foos from Nuremberg is recorded as having settled in Amsterdam in 1642, where he established a successful trading business.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname FOOS. These include:

1. Georg Foos (1590-1672), a German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of comets and planetary motion.
2. Anna Maria Foos (1645-1720), a German painter known for her still-life and religious works, which were highly acclaimed during her lifetime.
3. Johann Jakob Foos (1713-1789), a Swiss theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
4. Heinrich Foos (1817-1892), a German-American inventor and industrialist who patented several innovations in the field of textile manufacturing.
5. Wilhelm Foos (1858-1924), a German artist and illustrator renowned for his depictions of rural life and landscapes in the Black Forest region.

The surname FOOS has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, and entrepreneurs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Foos

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Foos.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Foos was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Foos has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Foos was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Foos, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!