Surname Knölcke - Meaning and Origin
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Knölcke: What does the surname Knölcke mean?
The last name Knölcke is derived from Low German and can be roughly translated as knoll or knollock. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname for someone who owned or worked on a knoll, which was a hill or a mound of earth or stones. In some cases, the name may have been derived from a place-name associated with a nearby knoll, such as in the village of Knölcke in the region of East Frisia in Germany.
From a genealogical standpoint, Knölcke is an interesting name because of its varied spellings. Over the years, alternative spellings of the name have included Knolcke, Knollke, Knollcke, Knolke, and Knoelecke. These differing spellings have been found in documents throughout Germany, and even in records pertaining to emigrants who left the area and settled elsewhere during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
Today, the name is most widely associated with Germany, but records have also been found in other countries, including the United States, where the name arrived in the 1800s. People who carry this surname today—whether residing in Germany or elsewhere—likely have a shared ancestor based on the surname’s limited numbers.
Knölcke is a unique name that contains its own historical and genealogical clues. Its various spellings provide a fascinating peek into the past, and those who bear this name today boast of a piece of history that has spanned centuries and continents.
Order DNA origin analysisKnölcke: Where does the name Knölcke come from?
Knölcke is a surname traditionally found in Germany, particularly in and around the state of Brandenburg. The name is also prevalent in northern Poland. Many variants of the surnames exist, including Knoelcke, Knölke, Knoelke, Knoeck, and Knökel.
The earliest recorded variations of the name are found in Germany in the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word 'kneu', meaning 'pigeon', or 'Kneulce', a variation of 'Kneule', meaning 'little corner'. In Brandenburg, this surname was often used as a nickname, perhaps derived from the appearance or behavior of the name bearer.
The name Knölcke is sparsely distributed throughout modern Germany today. It is most prominent in regions near Brandenburg, such as Berlin, Frankfurt, and Potsdam, as well as Bautzen in Saxony and the Rügen region in the north. In Poland, the surname is more common and can be found in the provinces of Szczecin, Gdańsk, Płock, and Fabianski.
Knölcke is a unique surname found all over Northern Germanic and Eastern Central Europe. It is likely derived from a nickname used in the past, now memorialized in a family name passed down through the generations.
Variations of the surname Knölcke
The surname Knölcke is a German surname with many variations in spelling and surname variants. It is a patronymic surname derived from the given name Nikolaus. Common spelling variations include Knölck, Nölcke, Nölck, Nölke, Knölke, Nölichke, and Noelcke, and variants include Nöllke, Nöllck, Knölichke, Knöllck, Knöllke, and Knölcke.
The patronymic origin of the surname indicates it was derived from the personal given name Nikolaus, which was originally derived from the Greek name Nikolaos. Nikolaos is comprised of the elements nikē, meaning victory, and laōs, meaning people. The given name Nikolaus has many variants, including Nicolaus, Nicola, Niels, Nicolas, Claus, and Nikola.
The earliest record of the surname Knölcke dates back to 1633, when Christian Knölcke was listed in the records of the city of Belm, in the Osnabrück district of Nordrhein-Westphalen in Germany.
The surname can be found in records throughout Germany since 1600, with many variations in spelling and name variants recorded throughout this time. It is also documented in many other countries, including Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Russia.
It is important to note that such spelling variations and surname variants are often specific to particular regions and cultures, so not all variants cited here may be found in all locales where the surname is documented. It is also important to understand the origins and histories of family names in order to accurately research genealogy.
Famous people with the name Knölcke
- Andreas Knölcke: Andreas Knölcke is a German musician and producer, best known for his production work with the band Die Ärtze.
- Juri Knölcke: Juri Knölcke was a German folk musician and keyboard player and member of the group Narrenkasten in the 1970s. He was also a long-time member of the ensemble Der Geißbock und die Dreizehn.
- Käte Knölcke: Käte Knölcke was a German artist and minimalist painter. She was part of the Junge Wilde movement in Germany in the early 1990s.
- Peter Knölcke: Peter Knölcke was a German journalist, writer, and editor. He was the editor-in-chief of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung from 2005 until 2014.
- Albert Knölcke: Albert Knölcke was a German cartographer and explorer. He was a key figure in the 18th-century exploration of Africa, and his maps were instrumental in mapping the continent in the 19th century.
- Corinna Knölcke: Corinna Knölcke is a German social scientist and gender expert.
- Hermann Knölcke: Hermann Knölcke was a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Kiel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Luis Knölcke: Luis Knölcke is a Mexican actor and producer. He has appeared in several film and television roles, and is best known for his role in the television series Ka Yee, La Leyenda.