Surname Köne - Meaning and Origin
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Köne: What does the surname Köne mean?
The surname Köne is of German origin, with the meaning “bold” or “brave”. It is likely derived from the Old High German word “koen”, which carries the same meaning. It appears to have been an aristocratic name, as it served as the name of the counts of Rödlingen in southern Germany, as well as the margraves of Schramberg in the southwest.
The history of the Köne surname can be traced back to the middle ages in Germany. German medieval records show that the Köne surname first appears in documents in the Mansfeld region of present-day Saxony-Anhalt in 1243. Other records from the same time frame in the region near Magdeburg also list a member of the Köne family.
The Köne surname then spread to the regions of Rhineland and Westphalia when the counts of Rödlingen began to practice primogeniture in the late 14th century. This entailed the firstborn son of a noble household inheriting the family name and estate.
More modern records of the Köne family show that it grew in prominence and power throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Many members of the family became prominent members of civil society and held a variety of governmental positions in the areas of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Today, the Köne name is still common in Germany. Furthermore, due to the nature of colonialism, the surname can be found in many countries around the world with strong German ties, such as the United States, Canada and New Zealand. The Köne surname remains a testament to the courage, power and strength of ancestral German families.
Order DNA origin analysisKöne: Where does the name Köne come from?
Köne is a surname that is very common in Eastern Europe today. It has been associated with a large number of areas in the past and is still largely prevalent in such places.
The name originates in Germany and Denmark, so it is believed that it has Scandinavian roots. It is one of the most popular surnames in Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Germany. It is also very common in Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, and Russia, as well as some other European countries.
In these nations, common forms of the surname Köne are Kone, Kohn, Konny, and Kowalow. In addition, it sometimes appears as its more anglicized variant Kohn-Kone.
In the United States, however, the surname is much rarer. It is often confused with Cohen or Cohn, a common Jewish name, which may account for its relative scarcity in America.
To sum up, the last name Köne is still very common in Eastern Europe today, although it can be hard to find in the United States. Its common variants often help to distinguish it from its similar-sounding counterparts.
Variations of the surname Köne
The surname Köne is derived from the Middle High German word "könig," meaning "king" or "ruler." It is a patronymic name, meaning it is derived from a parent’s first name. Variants of the surname Köne include Koene, Koen, Koenen, Kön, Köhne, Köhn, König, Königsmann, Königstein, Königin.
In Germany and the Netherlands, spellings like Kuhne, Kune, Kunig, Kühn and Könecker are all derivatives of Köne. The Dutch forms Koonig and Koning are very closely related to Köne.
Due to the large number of immigrants from Germany and Holland over the centuries, same-origin surnames can be found in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Some examples of these surnames include Coan, Coen, Cohn, Koan, Koon, Koones, Koons, Kon, Koehn, Kuen, Kune, Kunz, Kühn and Cone.
In some cases, the same origin of the Köne surname can be seen in other languages; for example, Conny in Swedish and Koen in Esperanto.
The spelling of Köne can vary depending on geographical location and the language of the region. In some countries, such as Austria, the spelling changes to Köhn. In some cases, the spelling may change based on the gender of the person bearing the surname; König is a masculine form, and Königin is the feminine variation.
In other languages, such as Dutch, ‘e’ is the vowel used to denote the sound of the letter ‘o’ in Köne, forming the surname Koehn.
At its root, the surname Köne originated as a title of nobility and was adopted as a surname by those of noble descent. It has since been adopted by many others as a descriptive of their noble ancestry. It is also sometimes used as a given name, particularly for boys.
Famous people with the name Köne
- Wolfgang Köne: This German film producer has collaborated with notable directors such as Wim Wenders and Akın Öztürk.
- Frank Köne: A German actor renowned for his performances in films such as Dune (1984) and The Fatalist (2005).
- Jens Köne: A German actor, most known for his performance in Die Welle (2008).
- Jan Köne: A German artist, often featured in the Berlin Horror Film Festival.
- Robert Köne: A German-born stage actor, most known for his work at the Royal National Theatre in London.
- Friedel Köne: German mathematician and game theorist, most known for his work in stochastic games.
- Gudrun Köne: A German actress whose roles include parts in Sheitan (2007) and Salem (2012).
- Luise Köne: A former German figure skater who competed in both men's and ladies' singles.
- August Köne: A German musicologist renowned for his contributions to the study of the history of musical instruments.
- Maryla Köne: German-born performing artist and actress. She is best known for her work in musical theatre, in particular the Broadway musical Pippin (2013).