Surname Faubus - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'F'
Faubus: What does the surname Faubus mean?
Faubus is a surname of French origin. The name is traced back to individuals who migrated from France to Germany and England in the Middle Ages. The exact meaning of the surname Faubus is not clearly known. Several different theories suggest it could be derived from words like "faubourg" which means suburbs in French, potentially indicating a family that lived in such areas. Others suggest it might be linked to professions, as many surnames were, such as a forger or a blacksmith. There are prominent individuals with the surname Faubus, such as Orval Faubus, the 36th Governor of Arkansas, known for his stand against the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957, during the American Civil Rights Movement. However, it's important to note that surnames can often lose their original meanings over time and geographical movements, and may not necessarily hint at the profession, location, or status of those who bear them today.
Order DNA origin analysisFaubus: Where does the name Faubus come from?
The surname Faubus is of French origin, specifically from the northern regions of France. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old French term "faubourg," meaning suburb, and was likely used to denote someone who lived on the outskirts of a town or city. It appears to have been anglicized upon the family's arrival in the English-speaking world.
Today, the Faubus surname isn't particularly common anywhere in the world. However, it is found in the United States, largely due to the immigration of people from Europe. The name gained some notoriety in the U.S. because of Orval Faubus, who was the Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967 and is infamous for his strong stance against the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School during the Civil Rights Movement. Despite this, the surname remains relatively rare in the U.S. and elsewhere today. According to Forebears, a surname database, most of the Faubuses in the world still reside in the United States.
Variations of the surname Faubus
The surname Faubus can vary in its spellings and its language origin may give rise to several variants. Some alternative spellings of this surname might include Fobus, Fobbus, Fabus, and Foebus in English-speaking countries.
When considering the surname’s origin, it is believed to come from France or Western Europe, a region characteristically multilingual. Therefore, the surname can have various versions in different Western European languages. For example, in French, it could be Faubourg or Foubert; in a similar vein, Phoebus is a name with Greek roots that sounds akin and may be connected historically. Other possible variants could also include the Germanic Fausbuss or the Italian Fabbri, both of which carry a similar phonetic sound.
Please note, whilst these names are similar sounding and some may have shared origins, each surname carries its unique genealogical history and might not be directly linked with 'Faubus'. Surnames evolved over time due to regional dialects, illiteracy in past societies, and migration, making the tracing of their exact derivations challenging. Moreover, the surname Faubus is relatively rare, further complicating the task of identifying its variants and origins.
Famous people with the name Faubus
The most notable individual with the last name Faubus is Orval Faubus, who served as the 36th Governor of Arkansas from 1955 to 1967. He is infamous for his role in the 1957 Little Rock Crisis, where he deployed the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American students from attending Little Rock Central High School, defying the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Despite the controversy surrounding his tenure, Faubus remained popular in Arkansas and was reelected six times. Orval's son, Farrell Faubus, also ventured into politics. He ran for governor of Arkansas in 1986 but was not successful. Another individual with the last name Faubus is jazz bassist Charlie Faubus, who is not related to Orval Faubus. However, he is often associated with Orval due to a satirical song by Charles Mingus titled "Fables of Faubus," which criticizes Orval's segregationist policies. Charlie Faubus has worked with notable musicians such as Marc Ribot and Danny Barker.