Show ContentsKuhnke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Schleswig-Holstein, which is the northernmost state in western Germany, is the homeland of the proud surname Kuhnke. Schleswig, which was included in the empire of the Franks as the "Danemark," was a northern border protectorate against the Danish Vikings. The duchy of Holstein was settled by the German Saxons during the 6th century. The Danemark, however, was granted to the Danes by Emperor Conrad II (990-1039), and the remainder of Schleswig-Holstein's history has revolved around the political question of Danish or German control of this region. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the two duchies were incorporated into Denmark. However, the Congress Of Vienna in 1815 granted the Holstein and Lauenburg to the German Confederation. In 1866, Schleswig-Holstein became a Prussian province and it became a part of the German Empire after the unification of 1871. After the First World War, a part of Northern Schleswig was restored to Denmark after the majority of the population had voted for reunion with Denmark.

Early Origins of the Kuhnke family

The surname Kuhnke was first found in Schleswig-Holstein, where the family contributed greatly to the development of an emerging nation and would later play a large role in the political conflicts of the area. The family branched into many houses, many of which acquired estates and manors throughout the surrounding regions, where they played significant roles in the social and political affairs. "Kahn" or "Kan" is a north German word meaning "skiff" or "barge."

Early History of the Kuhnke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kuhnke research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1390, 1400, 1402, 1412 and 1840 are included under the topic Early Kuhnke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kuhnke Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kahn, Kaehne, Kahne, Kan, Cahn, Caehne, Kaehn, Kehn, Kahns, Kahnes and many more.

Early Notables of the Kuhnke family

Notables of the time included Gün Temür (1377-1402), Mongol Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia, He ruled from 1400 to 1402, he was defeated by Gulichi (1402), who killed him as a result; Dilawar (Dilawar Khan Ghori), governor of the Malwa province of central India during the decline of the Delhi Sultanate, after serving at the court in Delhi, appointed governor at Dhar (1390-91), took the title of 'Amid Shah Da'ud; Orug Temur Khan (Gulichi), Mongol leader who temporarily enthroned himself Khan of the Mongols in the early 15th century, appeared in Mongolian history, leader of the Oirats, particularly...
Another 118 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kuhnke Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kuhnke family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Michael Kahn, who came to Philadelphia in 1733. Daniel Kahn settled in Pennsylvania in 1753; while Gottlob Kahn settled in Texas in 1846.


Contemporary Notables of the name Kuhnke (post 1700) +

  • Carol Kuhnke, American politician, Circuit Judge in Michigan 22nd Circuit 1


  1. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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