Fox

It was my parents’ discovery that they both had an ancestor with a “Fox” surname that first propelled me into this genealogical journey. As it turns out, there are two places where my mothers’ and my fathers’ Fox ancestors cross paths, but not in lines of direct lineage, and not in any sort of creepy first-cousin-marrying ways.

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Profiles of Fox Family Members & Spouses:

• Christoffel Fuchs (1636-1698) & Maria Lnu (1640-1680)
• Johann Phillip Fuchs (1663-1698) & Catherine Neitzert (1664-1698)
• Johann Cristophel Fuchs (1683-1711) & Johanna Elizabeth Korsing (1688-?)

The above individuals are listed on Ancestry.com, but with little documentation the accuracy of this information is uncertain.

• Matthias Fuchs (1719-1783) & Anna Maria (1739-1792?)
• Johann Jacob Fuchs (1774-1830) & Catarina Huber (1789-1870)
• Israel Fuchs (1811-1859) & Catharina Nace (1811-1885)
  • John Fox, Civil War Soldier (~1840-1863)
• Aaron Fox (1842-1922) & Rebecca Hess (1854-1935)
• Alice Fox (1884-1948) & Philip Thomas (1888-1941)

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The Name “Fox”

Research into the origins of the surname “Fox” suggests that the name is an ancient one that originated in England and Ireland as a nickname for a clever, crafty, speedy, and generally fox-like person.  It was also attributed to people with red hair.

Many of the persons in this line used the German version of the name: “Fuchs.”  The first immigrants in the family retained this German version of the name once arriving in America. This was common, considering the large numbers of German immigrants in Eastern Pennsylvania who kept their German customs and culture very much alive, as can still be seen in the region today.

Later, as the common Pennsylvania German dialect gave way to an increased use of the English language, the name was anglicized to “Fox.”