Show ContentsKoening History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestral home of the Koening family is in the German state of Bavaria. The name Koening is an occupational hereditary surname, a type of surname that was taken from a word describing or common to the profession of the original bearer. It is a name for a person who was thought to possess regal qualities. The surname Koening was originally derived from the German word denoting the king, which was given to someone who was successful in sports or other skillful matches.

Early Origins of the Koening family

The surname Koening was first found in Alsace, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Koening family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Koening research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1701, 1823, 1832 and 1901 are included under the topic Early Koening History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Koening Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Koening include de Koenig, Koenig, Konnig, Koenig, de Koennig, Konige, Konnige, Konigge and many more.

Early Notables of the Koening family

More information is included under the topic Early Koening Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Koening migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Koening, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Koening Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Koening, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 1
  • Frederick Koening, aged 24, who arrived in New York, NY in 1852 1
  • Jacob Koening, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 1


  1. 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)


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