Knauff History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The history of the Knauff family dates back to the 12th century, when hereditary surnames first began to be used in Germany. The name Knauff comes from Bavaria, and is derived from the Old German word "Knopf," meaning "button"; thus, it is a name for a maker of buttons, usually of horn.
Early Origins of the Knauff family
The surname Knauff was first found in Bavaria, where this family made important contributions toward the development of this district from ancient times. Ancient chronicles first mention the knight Johann Knop of Thuringia in 1368, Michel Knoepfle of Ravensburg in 1476, and Knoepfelman of Speyer in 1334.
Early History of the Knauff family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knauff research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1728, 1769, 1842, 1874, 1895 and 1920 are included under the topic Early Knauff History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Knauff 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 Knauff include Knopfler, Knopf, Knopfle, Knoepfel, Knoepfle, Knoepfli, Knoepfler, Knoff, Knof, Knofler, Knoffler, Knopfer, Knop, Knopler, Knauff, Knauffer, Knauffel and many more.
Early Notables of the Knauff family
Prominent among members of the name Knauff in this period include
- Christian Knopf (b. 1480), a goldsmith from Switzerland, Christoph Knopfer, a cavalry captain, Marie Knauff (1842-1895), a German writer, and Carl Benno Rudolf Knopf (1874-1920), an Austrian theologia...
Knauff migration to the United States +
German settlers were among the most common to come to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. Poverty and religious persecution drove many Bavarians to make this long trek. tenant farmers were also enticed by the prospect of owning land. From east to west, these German immigrants populated the United States, settling in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada also provided homes to many. Early settlers bearing the Knauff surname or a spelling variation of the name include:
Knauff Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Johann Henrich Knauff, who landed in America in 1743 1
- John Henry Knauff, who arrived in America in 1743 1
- Anthon Knauff, who arrived in America in 1744 1
- Gottfried Knauff, who arrived in America in 1783 1
Knauff Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Ernst Fred Knauff, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1804 1
- Barbara Knauff, who immigrated to Baltimore in 1831
- Frederick Knauff, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1835 1
- George J Knauff, who landed in Mississippi in 1844 1
Contemporary Notables of the name Knauff (post 1700) +
- George Henry Knauff (1877-1961), birth name of George H. Melford, an American stage and film actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for directing To Have and to Hold in 1916 and The Sheik in 1921 starring Rudolph Valentino
- John Godfrey Knauff (1879-1959), birth name of Jack Norworth, American songwriter, singer and vaudeville performer, best known for writing the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and "Shine On, Harvest Moon," inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
- Major General Robert A. Knauff, American chief of staff of the New York Air National Guard, eponym of Mount Knauff, on the Pennell Coast of Victoria Land, Antarctica
- Thomas L. Knauff (b. 1938), American writer, glider pilot, flight instructor, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Designated Pilot Examiner, inducted into the U.S. Soaring Hall of Fame
- Frederick R. Knauff, American Republican politician, Treasurer of Maine Republican Party, 1945 2
- Christian Knauff, American Republican politician, Mayor of Waterville, Maine, 1894-95 2
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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html