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

Fuerst, 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 Fuerst surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fuerst in America

Fuerst is the 14495th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fuerst surname appeared 2,058 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 Fuerst.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fuerst 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 Fuerst

The surname Fuerst originated in Germany and is derived from the German word "Fürst," meaning "prince" or "ruler." It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a person who worked in the service of a prince or ruler, or perhaps as a nickname for someone who carried themselves with a princely demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the Fuerst surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Heinrich Fuerst, who was mentioned in records from the city of Nuremberg in 1285, and Konrad Fuerst, who was documented in Cologne in 1297.

During the Middle Ages, the Fuerst surname was also found in various forms, such as Furste, Furst, and Fürst, due to regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. Additionally, some variations of the name were associated with specific locations, such as Firstenberg or Furstenberg, which were likely derived from place names.

One notable historical figure bearing the Fuerst surname was Philipp Fuerst (1530-1600), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation movement in Germany. Another prominent individual was Johann Fuerst (1575-1632), a German astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of optics and the development of telescopes.

Other notable individuals with the Fuerst surname include:

1. Paul Fuerst (1856-1934), a German artist and painter known for his landscape and genre paintings.
2. Rudolph Fuerst (1838-1914), an Austrian-American composer and pianist who composed several operas and piano works.
3. Maximilian Fuerst (1846-1915), a German chemist and inventor who developed the first commercially successful artificial silk fiber, known as "Chardonnet silk."
4. Walter Fuerst (1895-1983), a German-American film producer and director who worked in both Germany and Hollywood during the 1920s and 1930s.
5. Renate Fuerst (1944-present), a German soprano opera singer who has performed in numerous productions across Europe and North America.

Overall, the Fuerst surname has a rich history rooted in German culture and tradition, with bearers of the name having made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fuerst

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

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 Fuerst 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 Fuerst 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 Fuerst was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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