Surname Knocke - Meaning and Origin

Knocke: What does the surname Knocke mean?

The surname Knocke is an occupational name derived from the Dutch and Low German terms knocke, knoke, and knöck which all have to do with certain manufacturing jobs.

The earliest use of the surname Knocke was linked to a specific occupation. It was a name used to indicate someone who owned or worked within a company that makes doorknobs, locks, and other fittings. These knocke makers, as they were known, also made iron tools and hardware. The surname suggests that its owner used to work as a blacksmith or a locksmith.

The surname Knocke can be traced as far back as the 16th century with records showing early usage in the Netherlands and parts of Germany. Over time, it spread to other regions, including England, France, Italy, and even the New World.

Additionally, Knocke is seen as part of the patronymic family name Cnocke, meaning “son of Knocke”. Throughout its various forms, the surname has been closely associated with metalworking and furniture-making for many centuries.

While the surname’s precise origin is unknown, it has maintained its reputation as a common family name in Europe and other parts of the world. Today, the last name Knocke is still shared among many families, a reminder of its Dutch and German heritage.

Knocke: Where does the name Knocke come from?

The last name Knocke is a German last name that is still fairly common in German-speaking countries, particularly in the western parts of Germany, particularly the Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. According to German archives from the early 1800s, Knocke was the 38th most common last name in Germany. It is also sometimes found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

In the United States and other English-speaking countries, the last name is fairly uncommon. It likely arrived in North America with early German settlers, but the numbers of those bearing this name likely decreased slowly after the first generations. Both Knocke and Knoke are found in the United States Census records from the early 1900s, but very few of them remain today.

In the modern age, the internet has opened up the ability to trace family lineages and discover the presence of the Knocke surname in the past. On websites such as Ancestry.com, it is possible to search for records of people with this last name from countries all over the world. There, it is possible to find out more information on people with this surname, including their family connections and where they lived.

Variations of the surname Knocke

Knocke is a surname that has a variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The most common spelling of Knocke is "Knoke" with "Knöcke" as the German variant. The Dutch variant is either Knoeck or Knoeckx and the Scandinavian variant is Knök. Other Spellings include Knöke, Knoeck, Knöck, Knöcker and Knoecker.

Surnames with the same origin as the Knocke surname include Knack, Knaack, Knoeck, Knighton, Knoch, Knotts and Notz. Knack and Knaack are two of the most well-known variations and can be found in Germany and The Netherlands. Knoeck is commonly found in Germany, while the Scandinavian variant, Knök, is mostly found in Sweden and Norway. Knighton can be found in England, while Knoch is mainly found in Central Europe and Knotts is mainly found in the USA. Meanwhile, the surname Notz is common in the Swiss region of Alsace and Upper-Rhineland.

Overall, the surname Knocke is widely distributed throughout Europe and North America. As such, there are numerous different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. It is believed that the variations emerged due to the various languages and dialects spoken across Europe and North America.

Famous people with the name Knocke

• Heinz Knocke: German professional footballer who played as a left midfielder or left back. He became most notable for his 9-year spell at Borussia Dortmund from 1970 to 1979.
• Dagmar Knocke: German visual artist whose paintings have been shown in several solo and group exhibitions and is the 2019 recipient of the Mathilde Flaischner Prize for Art and Culture.
• Beate Knocke:Spouse of German politician Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who served as the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 to 1992 and from 1974 to 1980 Vice-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.
• Don Knocke: American software engineer and entrepreneur who is noted for co-founding the software development firm Rogue Wave Software.
• Jean-François Knocke: Luxembourgish politician and former Member of European Parliament.
• Josef Knocke: German illustrator and graphic designer whose works included designing illustrations for books and doing package designs.
• Peter Knocke: German railway historian and engineer who worked from 1974 to 1996, for the German Federal Railways.
• Pia Knocke: German multimedia artist whose works in mixed media have been presented through solo and group exhibitions at institutions such as Kunsthaus Hamburg.
• Paul Knocke: Austrian stage and film actor who was particularly known for playing Caesar in the 1936 AVUS remake of Julius Caesar, as well as roles in Die Gänsemagd (The Goose Girl) and the The Adventures of Reinhold von Württemberg at the Schlosstheater Dellbrück.
• Alex Knocke:Ice hockey player, formerly of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Other surnames

KnockKnockton