Fogel
A German surname meaning “bird,” often a spelling variant of Vogel.
The #6,784 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 62,084 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Fogel is a variant spelling of German Vogel, the common word for “bird.” It was likely first used as a nickname or identifying byname, perhaps for someone thought to resemble a bird, have birdlike traits, or for another reason now lost. The spelling with -g- reflects older or regional variation rather than a different root.
History
English-language surname dictionaries of the 19th century regularly treated Fogel as the German form alongside Vogel and Vogl. The name appears in immigrant records and in English-speaking countries mostly as a carried-over German surname or as an anglicized spelling of Vogel. In the United States it is not among the most common surnames, but it is established through German and Jewish immigrant lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root appears in several related surnames across German-speaking regions, with Vogel being the standard spelling and Fogel/Vogl reflecting local or historical spelling differences.
From the historical record
“Fuggle, Fugill. A.S. Fugel ; D. Fugl ; S. Fogel; F/., D,.s G. Vogel; p.n. (a fowl, bird) Fulcher. A.S. Fulcherus, H chere; p.n. (falcon warrior) ; r. Fulge. Or from Fougeres >1”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)Notable people named Fogel
- Robert Fogel (1926–2013)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.