Surname Pusz - Meaning and Origin
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Pusz: What does the surname Pusz mean?
The last name Pusz is of Polish origin and is a variant of the family name Puciak. It is derived from the Old Polish word puszcz meaning "a wooded area". In medieval times, forests and woods were a prized resource and were carefully maintained. Any family who could claim ownership of such an area was likely to have higher social and political status.
The name Pusz is a topographical name, indicating a family's origin from a physical feature of the landscape, and so can be used to trace the history of a particular family. The name is most common in southern and central Poland, which may indicate that the Pusz family held property or land in that area and derived their name from this area of origin.
The name Pusz is most likely derived from a place name associated with a wooded area. So someone from Puciak may have traveled to, or lived around, a particular area of woodland which gave rise to the family surname – Pusz.
In modern times, the last name Pusz can be found in many places throughout the world, a sign that the family migrated to distant lands in search of a better life. Whether it persists in those places today is another matter, but it is a reminder of the interesting adventures the Puciak family has experienced over the centuries.
Order DNA origin analysisPusz: Where does the name Pusz come from?
The last name Pusz is common in several countries today, primarily east and central European countries. It is most common in Hungary, where it is the 93rd most common surname, with approximately 7,000 holders. It is also relatively common in Slovakia, Poland, and Romania.
In the United States, Pusz is a far rarer name, and is ranked 27,301st most common name, with an estimated 272 holders. The earliest recorded bearer was a Mr. Edward Pusz, who was recorded in the famous passenger list of the Mayflower in 1620. In Canada, the name is also fairly rare, ranking 10,601st most common in the 2016 census.
Pusz, sometimes spelled Puś, is believed to be of Polish origin, and is derived from a diminutive form of the first name Ignatz. It is believed to have been a common name amongst the peoples of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the family name may have been created upon its dissolution. The name is now primarily found in the countries carved out of the former Commonwealth.
Variations of the surname Pusz
Pusz (also spelt as Puz or Puź) is a surname of Polish and Jewish origin. It is derived from the word puszcza, meaning, ‘forest’, or ‘woodland’.
The variants of the surname Pusz include Puz, Puź, Puś, and Puźy. It can also be seen in its original Polish spelling as Puś or Poś.
The surnames Puzak, Puzik, and Puzyrek can also be found among Jewish families of this ancestry. In America, the surname has started to take new spelling forms such as Pous, Poos and Poz.
The Pusz surname is most likely to be found in Europe, particularly in Poland, and its territories. This is likely due to its origins as a toponymic surname, derived from the word ‘puszcza’ which is a Polish word.
Jews of Polish ancestry who settled in America, also adopted this surname. Today, those bearing the name of the Pusz surname can be traced to areas in the USA including New York, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
Variations in spelling of the name can also be found in Jewish communities in Romania, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as in Israel, Argentina, Mexico, Lithuania, and Canada.
The surname Pusz may also be found under the variations of Poz, Poż, Puszcz, Pożak, Puzak, Puzik, Puśczyk, Posz, and Puzyrek.
Famous people with the name Pusz
- Péter Pusztai: Hungarian biochemist and nutritionist who won the George and MarieBonelli International Prize for his research into genetically modified foods.
- Marcel Pusztaszeri: Hungarian entrepreneur and member of the Pusztaszeri family who, in 1923, founded the Geza Pusztaszeri Business School in Budapest.
- Ferenc Puskas: Hungarian footballer who is one of the most respected players in the history of football. He was awarded the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award and is commonly known as the "Galloping Major".
- Albert Pusztai: Hungarian-born American architect and sculptor who worked on many public projects around the US, such as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument in New York City.
- Endre Pusztai: Hungarian chess grandmaster, who in 1996, became the Hungarian National Chess Champion.
- Szilvia Pusztai: Hungarian singer and television personality who began her career in 2010, and has appeared on many popular reality television shows in Hungary.
- Peter Pusztai: Austrian-born American molecular biologist who developed the influential protein folding problem in the 1970s.
- Ernő Pusztai: Hungarian scientist and international advisor on public and health policies who was appointed president of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology in 1995.
- Amalija Pusztai: Croatian artist who is known for her large metal sculptures which she creates using metallic surfaces and metals like stainless steel, brass, copper and bronze.
- Stephen L. Pusztai: American astrophysicist who is best known for his contributions to the study of X-ray binary systems. He is a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.