Nuss
A short German surname usually linked to the word for “nut,” often marking someone who lived by nut trees or sold nuts.
The #8,714 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,004 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Nuss is the German word for “nut,” from Old High German and related West Germanic forms. As a surname, it could have begun as a nickname for someone associated with nuts or nut trees, or as a topographic name for a person living near such trees. In some cases it may also reflect a house or inn name rather than a direct trade.
History
The name appears in German-speaking areas in forms such as Nuss, Nuß, and related spellings with ß or ss. German surname references also show it alongside related names like Nusser and Nussbaum, suggesting a broader family of names built from the same root. In the United States it is relatively uncommon and is most likely carried by descendants of German immigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
German dictionaries also record related surnames like Nussbaum, literally “nut tree,” which shows how often ordinary plant words became family names.
From the historical record
“Wylisce men, the Welsh ; sing, of Wealas is Wealh, a foreigner, Welshman, 0. H. G. walk, foreigner, Gelt, Ger. wal- in wal- nuss, Eng. wal-nut : from the Gaul, nation of the Volcae, bordering on the Germans, *Volko-s, *VolM, "the bathers," from vole, bathe (see failc in Diet.). Stokes connects the name with Lit.…”
— Etymology of the principal Gaelic national names, personal names, surnames