Surname Knoch - Meaning and Origin
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read moreKnoch: What does the surname Knoch mean?
The last name Knoch is of German origin and is derived from the High German word "knuche", meaning knuckle. This surname was likely taken on by someone who was related to someone who lived near a settlement with a knuckled shaped hill or a landmark near it. The surname is also used in Switzerland, as a corruption of the Swiss German word "knööchli", meaning a small knoll or hillock.
In German speaking countries, the surname is a literal translation of the word, but in other languages it is spelled differently. In the United States, Knoch is often spelled as Knap, Knapp, or Knup, and in England it is sometimes spelled Knoche, or Knoch. In Scotland, this surname is found most often as Knox or Knowles.
The Knoch surname can be found scattered across Europe, from the Baltic region in the East, to southwestern France and Spain in the West. In the United States, Knoch is most common in Pennsylvania, with other concentrations in Ohio, New York, and Illinois.
Today, the Knoch surname is associated with people of various backgrounds, from entrepreneurs to educators. It reflects a variety of professions and interests; the Knochs of today are unlikely to be related to one another, despite sharing a common last name.
Order DNA origin analysisKnoch: Where does the name Knoch come from?
The last name Knoch is most commonly found in Germany and amongst German-speaking individuals and families living in neighboring countries, such as Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It is also commonly found amongst individuals of German ancestry in the United States and Canada.
The name is thought to have originated with the Middle High German word ‘knoche’, meaning ‘little hill’. Many families that adopted the surname were thought to have lived on or near a small hill or hillock.
Knoch is a fairly common name in Germany today, where it has been used for centuries. The 2011 German census registered 8,220 people with the name Knoch living in Germany on that date. This made it one of the 220th most common surnames in the country.
Knoch is also a popular surname in other parts of Europe and the Americas. In the United States, the U.S. Government Census of 2000 recorded 7,478 individuals with the surname Knoch living in the United States, 483 of them in California. In Canada, the surname is associated with many families of German descent, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia.
Variations of the surname Knoch
The surname Knoch has various variations, spellings, and surnames of the same origin.
The variants of Knoch include Knach, Knech, Knotch, Knowck, Knoche, and Knocke. These variants are primarily found in Germany and Austria. Other variations of this surname are Knoke, Knocch, Knack, Knoche, Knoble, Knoech and Knok.
The spelling variants of this surname are generally derived from regional dialects. For example, the German spelling is usually Knoche or Knocke, while the dialect of Upper German is often written as Knach. Other spellings include Knech, Knotch and Knowck.
Similar surnames related to Knoch include Knust, Knut, Knoepfel, Knipscher, Knusel and Knotsch. These surnames share a common origin and are generally derived from Germanic and Old English surnames. They are also related to surnames such as Knouff, Knouglers, Knouman, Knouser, Knouset, and Knous.
The surname Knoch is believed to be of occupational origin. It is derived from the Middle High German word knoch which means a knop, knob, or buckle. It is likely that the original bearer of the Knoch surname was a maker of knops, knots, or buckles. Therefore, this surname is believed to have originally been an occupational surname.
The name Knoch has been found in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the United States. It is also one of the oldest known Germanic surnames. Today, the name can be found throughout the world, with variants and spelling variations.
Famous people with the name Knoch
- Alexander Knoch: a German equestrian rider who won a bronze medal in the Team Dressage showjumping event of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Friedrich Knoch: a German painter and draftsman of the Romantic period.
- Hermann Knoch: a German painter who was a representative of Romanticism.
- Johannes Knoch: a German illustrator and engraver.
- Walther Knoch: a German operatic baritone and director, known for his performances in Wagnerian works.
- Adolf Knoch: a 19th-century German dramatic composer and conductor.
- Charles Knoch: an American bandleader and fiddle player.
- Dima Knoch: a professional German footballer who currently plays for Viktoria Köln.
- Fritz Knoch: a German painter and art professor.
- Max Knoch: a German lawyer and statesman who served as Prussian minister of the interior in the 1880s.
- Paul Knoch: a German botanist.
- Louisa Knoch: a talented and popular 19th-century English contralto.
- Robert Knoch: an Austrian musician and composer.
- Karl Knoch: a German mathematician and astronomer.
- Wilfrid Knoch: a German-born British marine painter and lithographer.