NameCensus.

UK surname

Fuchs

A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "vuhs," meaning "fox," likely referring to a sly or cunning person.

In the 1881 census there were 87 people recorded with the Fuchs surname, ranking it #21,334 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 282, ranked #15,406, up from #21,334 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hackney, Eden and The Vale of Glamorgan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fuchs is 282 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 224.1%.

1881 census count

87

Ranked #21,334

Modern count

282

2016, ranked #15,406

Peak year

2016

282 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fuchs had 87 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,334 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016, ranked #15,406.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 169 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Fuchs surname distribution map

The map shows where the Fuchs surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Fuchs surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fuchs over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2 #33,133
1861 historical 17 #31,714
1881 historical 87 #21,334
1891 historical 102 #23,719
1901 historical 168 #16,886
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 196 #17,859
1998 modern 213 #17,431
1999 modern 219 #17,203
2000 modern 206 #17,880
2001 modern 206 #17,624
2002 modern 214 #17,545
2003 modern 216 #17,229
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 220 #17,204
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 242 #16,432
2009 modern 239 #16,951
2010 modern 261 #16,294
2011 modern 277 #15,433
2012 modern 270 #15,667
2013 modern 279 #15,574
2014 modern 281 #15,583
2015 modern 280 #15,485
2016 modern 282 #15,406

Geography

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Where Fuchs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, St Pancras and Hendon. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hackney, Eden, The Vale of Glamorgan, Craven and Harrow. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Hendon Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hackney 001 Hackney
2 Eden 004 Eden
3 The Vale of Glamorgan 011 Vale of Glamorgan
4 Craven 003 Craven
5 Harrow 019 Harrow

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fuchs

These lists show first names that appear often with the Fuchs surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fuchs

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fuchs, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Fuchs surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Fuchs household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fuchs is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fuchs is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fuchs falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fuchs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fuchs, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fuchs

The surname Fuchs is of German origin, derived from the Old High German word 'fuhs' meaning 'fox'. It was originally an occupational name for a hunter or fur trader, or a nickname referring to someone with reddish-brown hair or a cunning personality like a fox.

The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with records showing variations such as Fuhse, Fuchse, and Vuchse. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Henricus Fuhse, mentioned in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of medieval manuscripts from Westphalia, Germany, around 1200 AD.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a compilation of documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg. A certain Thidericus Vuchse was documented in this record from 1265.

The Fuchs surname is also linked to various place names across Germany, such as Fuchsstadt, Fuchsmühl, and Fuchshausen, indicating that some bearers of the name may have derived their surname from these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Fuchs include Johannes Fuchs (1501-1566), a German botanist and physician, and Remigius Fuchs (1572-1615), a German mathematician and astronomer. In the 18th century, Gottlieb Fuchs (1722-1795) was a renowned German painter and engraver.

Other prominent bearers of the name include Ernst Fuchs (1851-1923), an Austrian chemist and industrialist who founded the modern chemical industry in Austria, and Georg Fuchs (1890-1949), a German politician and member of the Nazi party during World War II.

The surname Fuchs has also been carried by various artists, writers, and academics throughout history, such as the German painter Katharina Fuchs (1892-1967), the American writer Larry Fuchs (1925-2011), and the German political scientist Klaus Fuchs-Kittowski (born 1934).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fuchs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fuchs surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 56 Fuchs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.60x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 56 6.60x
Surrey 20 4.84x
Yorkshire 6 0.71x
Lincolnshire 2 1.47x
Warwickshire 2 0.93x
Roxburghshire 1 6.51x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 15 Fuchs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.96x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 15 21.96x
Islington London 12 14.59x
Camberwell 8 14.76x
St Giles In Fields London 8 192.31x
Lambeth 6 8.11x
Willesden 6 75.00x
Bromley London 4 21.42x
Kingstonupon Hull 3 447.76x
Whitechapel London 3 35.84x
Clapham 2 18.85x
Finchley 2 61.54x
Great Grimsby 2 23.23x
Hampstead London 2 15.13x
Leamington Priors 2 37.95x
Thirsk 2 206.19x
Ashtead 1 370.37x
Ednam 1 555.56x
Hackney London 1 2.10x
Manningham 1 9.65x
Newington 1 3.19x
Reigate Borough 1 105.26x
St Gregory By St Pauls 1 476.19x
St Marylebone London 1 2.21x
Streatham 1 15.87x
Westminster St James 1 11.47x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Fuchs surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Clara 4
Maria 3
Mary 3
Charlotte 2
Minnie 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Barbara 1
Beina 1
Catherine 1
Catherinn 1
Emmilzian 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Friedrika 1
Frore 1
Jacobina 1
Julia 1
Katie 1
Lana 1
Leonie 1
Maadalewa 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Margaretha 1
Margarette 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Sybyla 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Fuchs surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Phillip 3
Richd. 3
Carl 2
Jacob 2
Philip 2
Adam 1
Carol 1
Charley 1
Charly 1
Conrad 1
Cyril 1
Daniel 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Eugene 1
George 1
Harold 1
Herman 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Julius 1
Karl 1
Otto 1
P. 1
Peter 1
Phillipp 1
Reinhade 1

FAQ

Fuchs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fuchs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 87 people were recorded with the Fuchs surname. That placed it at #21,334 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fuchs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016. That gives Fuchs a modern rank of #15,406.

What does the Fuchs surname mean?

A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "vuhs," meaning "fox," likely referring to a sly or cunning person.

What does the Fuchs map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Fuchs bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.