Foust
A German surname, usually an American spelling of Faust, reflecting a name built on an old Latin given name and later linked with folklore and courage.
The #2,900 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,967 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Foust is generally understood as a simplified spelling of German Faust, a surname that ultimately goes back to the Latin personal name Faustus, meaning "lucky," "favored," or "auspicious." In German and American records, the spelling often shifted to Foust to match pronunciation. The name is therefore usually treated as a German family name adapted in English-speaking countries.
History
The surname appears in German-speaking communities and became more common in the United States through immigration and later spelling variation. The 1902 source excerpt explicitly equates Foust with Faust, which supports the idea that Foust is a phonetic or Anglicized spelling rather than a separate independent name. Because the surname is relatively uncommon, many American bearers likely descend from a small number of immigrant lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The best-known cousin of this surname is Faust, the name made famous in European literature and legend about a man who makes a pact with the devil.
From the historical record
“Of the diphthongs, au naturally is spelled ow or ou, as in Bow man (Bauman), Foust (Faust), Mowrer (Maurer), Howry (Hauri). More interesting and complicated than the above is the change in the diphthong ei. The High German pronunciation of this is represented by English i or y : hence such names as Hines”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names