Faust
A German surname that can mean “lucky” or “auspicious,” though in some cases it may also relate to the word for “fist.”
The #2,263 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,217 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The main explanation in the historical sources is from Germanized Latin Faust, ultimately from Latin faustus, meaning “lucky,” “favorable,” or “auspicious.” That makes it a good example of a name formed from a positive personal attribute or omen. Some writers also note a possible association with German Faust, “fist,” so in certain cases the surname may have been influenced by a nickname meaning “fist” or “closed hand.”
History
The name appears in old German and Swiss records in several spelling forms, including Faust, Fust, Vaust, and others. Historical surname writers also connected it with medieval nickname forms and with the famous printer Johannes Fust/Faust of Mainz, though the exact relationship between those forms is not always clear. In English-speaking countries, Faust is best known today through German immigration and through the enduring fame of Goethe’s Faust.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Faust also gave rise to personal names like Faustus and Faustinus, all carrying the sense of good fortune.
From the historical record
“FAVRE I faber^ FAUST (Ger.-Lat.) Lucky, Auspicious [Lat. faust-us\ Faust happens also to be the German word for ' fist.' FEIN BERG (Ger.) Fair Mount [Ger. fein, f. Fr. Jin, fine -|- Ger. berg, hill] FELDMAN(N (Ger.) Fibld-Man [O.H.Ger.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)