Vos
A Dutch and Low German surname meaning “fox,” usually a nickname for a sly or reddish-haired person.
The #9,810 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,559 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Vos comes from the Dutch and Low German word for “fox.” As a surname, it began as a nickname, probably given to someone thought to be fox-like in cleverness, appearance, or temperament. The name is a straightforward animal-based byname rather than a place-name or occupation.
History
19th-century surname writers consistently describe Vos as a Dutch or Low German nickname surname, and they note related forms such as Voss and Voas. In English records it appears as an imported continental name rather than a long-established native English surname. It is still common in the Netherlands and in communities with Dutch or German ancestry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the surname literally means “fox,” it belongs to a very large European family of animal-based surnames found in many languages.
From the historical record
“Sires, dist [dit] Taillefer, merci, Jo [je] vos ai lungement servi. — Roman deRou, ii. 183 sqq. TALIE8IN (Celt.) Fair Front, Radiant Brow [Wei. tal, the front, forehead, etc.+”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)