The origin and meaning of Förtschbeck (Foertschbeck) is a mystery, research indicates the name has slavic roots.  There was a noble family,  Förtsch, who were prominent in the area starting in the 1200's.  The Counts Förtsch even built a castle, located in Thurnau near Kulmbach.  Prof. Dr. Horst Naumann, a research specialist with the Gesellschaft für Deutsche Sprache, (Association for German Language) in Wiesbaden, specialized in the origins of German family names.  Possible slavic and old German root names include;  "vortiti" (turn around), "vertic" or "Fertig" ("ready to go", "fit, able, qualified").  "Beck" is easy to translate, it means "baker".    Bottom line,  after much research over many years, we never found a good English translation for Förtsch (Foertsch).

     Another far out interpretation is "Peach Brook" per the book, German-American Names, by George F. Jones.  This is deemed very unlikely by the author, German Foertschbeck relatives, and others.  The "Beck" is almost 100% a shorten form of "Bäcker / Baecker / Becker" equal to "Backer" in English and not "Bach" equal to "Brook" in English.  Yet another interpretation is "Fart Beck" derived from "Fürze".  

     The author, John H. Foertschbeck (1940) believes the "vertic" or "Fertig" ("ready to go", "fit, able, qualified") is the most likely.