Vos

also De Vos, Vosse

'The fox' — for the red-haired and the sly.

Origin: Dutch
Register: Dutch family

The seat of Vos

Seat vacant

Chief

No one leads the Vos community yet. When the movement opens, you can stand for its leadership, or help elect whoever does.

Current mission

No shared goal set yet. Once Vos has leadership, it sets the public focus: a restoration, a gathering, a real-world project that helps its own.

The Vos clan is being rebuilt. Join the waiting list for the movement today, and you help decide who leads it and what it does.

Help rebuild the Vos clan →

What does the Vos name mean?

A nickname — vos, 'fox' — for a man of red hair or fox-like cunning. One of the old animal-nicknames of the Low Countries.

The history of Vos

Vos, the fox, fixed the red-haired man or the cunning one, in the same nicknaming habit that gave the medieval Low Countries a whole bestiary of names. Reynard the Fox — Reinaert de Vos — was the great Dutch and Flemish folk-trickster, which only sharpened the name's edge.

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Pick any year from 500 to 1945 and any place on earth — the Vos country, or a shore no Vos ever reached. The chronicler sets the scene; the deeds are yours.

Frequently asked

What does the surname Vos mean?

A nickname — vos, 'fox' — for a man of red hair or fox-like cunning. One of the old animal-nicknames of the Low Countries. Vos, the fox, fixed the red-haired man or the cunning one, in the same nicknaming habit that gave the medieval Low Countries a whole bestiary of names.

Is Vos a Dutch surname?

Yes, Vos is a Dutch surname. Its editorial home in this atlas is Dutch, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated.

How old is the Vos surname?

Vos, the fox, fixed the red-haired man or the cunning one, in the same nicknaming habit that gave the medieval Low Countries a whole bestiary of names. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Vos name took its modern form within that long settlement.

What is the Vos family known for?

'The fox' — for the red-haired and the sly. Vos, the fox, fixed the red-haired man or the cunning one, in the same nicknaming habit that gave the medieval Low Countries a whole bestiary of names.

Is De Vos the same family as Vos?

Yes. De Vos is a historical spelling variant of the Vos name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Is Vosse the same family as Vos?

Yes. Vosse is a historical spelling variant of the Vos name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Where is the Vos surname found today?

Dutch is the primary historical home of the Vos surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Dutch origin recorded on this page.

What does the Clan Rising page for the Vos family cover?

The Clan Rising page for the Vos family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Dutch so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.

Who is the head of the Vos family today?

The seat for the head of the Vos family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.