Knerr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Knerr is a name that originated in Thuringia, which is located between Hessen and Lower Saxony in the west and Saxony in the east. By and large, hereditary surname were formed in Germany when areas of Thuringia, and most of the German states, were a part of the Holy Roman Empire. At this time, as the population of Europe swelled and travel became easier, people began to encounter others sharing their own name and they avoided confusion by adopting a second name. A common form of surname found in Thuringia are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The surname Knerr was a name for a hunchback. The distinguished name Knerr is derived from the German word "knorre," which means "lump" or "outgrowth."

Early Origins of the Knerr family

The surname Knerr was first found in Thuringia, where the name could be considered to have made a great contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of modern Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the local and national conflicts in which groups sought power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Knerr family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knerr research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1535, 1600, 1636, 1681, 1689, 1726, 1728, 1803, 1830, 1853, 1859, 1888, 1889, 1916 and 1921 are included under the topic Early Knerr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knerr Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Knor, Knorre, Knore, Knoarr, Knoare and others.

Early Notables of the Knerr family

Notable members of the surname Knerr in this period were Christian Knorr von Rosenroth (1636-1689), an alchemist who wrote religious poems, one of which is still well known today. Iwan Knorr (1853-1916)...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Knerr Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knerr migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Knerr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Knerr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 1
Heinrich Jacob Knerr, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1752 1
Henrich Jacob Knerr, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 1
Henry Knerr, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 1
Georg Knerr, who arrived in America in 1774 1

Knerr Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Gottfried Knerr, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 1
Louise Knerr, aged 3, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Knerr (post 1700) +

Major-General Hugh Johnston Knerr (1887-1971), American Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. (1949) 2
William M. Knerr, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Utah at-large, 1912 3
Edwin J. Knerr, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Rhode Island State Senate from Hopkinton, 1911 3

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, April 2) Hugh Knerr. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Knerr/Hugh_Johnston/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html