Foss Family History

Foss Surname Meaning

English: either topographic name from Middle English foss ‘ditch’ (from Old English foss ‘ditch’ Latin fossa) or a habitational name from one or more of the many places so named such as Voss in Plympton Saint Mary and Great Fossend in Burlescombe (both Devon) the River Foss (North Yorkshire) Foss Beck (East Yorkshire) and the Fosse Way a Roman road running between Lincoln (Lincolnshire) and Axminster (Devon) via Leicester (Leicestershire) Cirencester (Gloucestershire) and Bath (Somerset) named in the Old English period from the ditch that ran alongside it.

Danish: from fos vos ‘fox’ applied as a nickname for a sly or cunning person or as a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a fox.

Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead so named from Old Norse fors ‘waterfall’ examples of which are found throughout Norway.

North German: variant of Voss. This surname is also found in the Netherlands.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Oss, Fosse, Ross, Koss, Boss, Noss, Moss, Fors, Doss, Loss

150K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
18K	Military Records
12K	Immigration Records
92K	Census and Voter Lists
271K	Member Trees

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Where is the Foss family from?

You can see how Foss families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Foss family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Foss families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 113 Foss families living in London. This was about 19% of all the recorded Foss's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Foss families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Foss surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Foss

What did your Foss ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Foss. 15% of Foss men worked as a General labourer and 70% of Foss women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Foss were Cowman and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Foss

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

15%

Incapacitated

10%

Dairy farmer

10%

Cowman

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Housekeeper

What Foss family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 92K census records available for the last name Foss. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Foss census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Foss

Passenger List

There are 12K immigration records available for the last name Foss. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Foss immigration records

Military Records

There are 18K military records available for the last name Foss. For the veterans among your Foss ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Foss military records

You've only scratched the surface of Foss family history

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What is the average Foss lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Foss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Foss in 1943 was 43, and 76 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Foss family tree

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Foss Surname Meaning

Danish: from fos vos ‘fox’ applied as a nickname for a sly or cunning person or as a topographic or habitational name referring to a house distinguished by the sign of a fox.

Norwegian: habitational name from a farmstead so named from Old Norse fors ‘waterfall’ examples of which are found throughout Norway.

North German: variant of Voss. This surname is also found in the Netherlands.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Foss family from?

What did your Foss ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

15%

Incapacitated

10%

Dairy farmer

10%

Cowman

Unpaid domestic duties

70%

Unpaid domestic

Private means

Housekeeper

What Foss family records will you find?

What is the average Foss lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Foss life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Foss in 1943 was 43, and 76 in 2004.

Foss Family History

Foss Surname Meaning

545,000 record(s) for Foss

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Foss family from?

What did your Foss ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Foss family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Foss family history

What is the average Foss lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Foss family tree

Search for another surname

Foss Surname Meaning

545,000 record(s) for Foss

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Foss family from?

What did your Foss ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Foss family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Foss family history

What is the average Foss lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Foss family tree

Search for another surname