Knoch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Knoch surname comes from the Old English word "cnocc," which meant a round topped hill. 1 The surname may have been taken on by someone who lived at such a place, or may have come from one of several places called Knock, in Scotland and Northern England. 2 3

Early Origins of the Knoch family

The surname Knoch was first found in Renfrewshire where the family is derived through the Crawfords "rom Adam son of Uchtred, who in the reign of Alexander II received from Walter the Steward the lands of Knock in the barony of Renfrew. The lands were named from the remarkable prominence there called "The Knock." The s is English plural. In 1234 the land of Cnoc in Renfrewshire was held under the abbot of Paisley by Duugallus filius Cristini and Matilda his spouse, who claimed lands in Kilpatrick as heirs of Dufgallus, the rector, brother of the earl of Lennox (RMP., p. 178). About 1260 John de Cnoc or Knoc witnessed a charter of the lands of Haldhingleston (Ingliston), Renfrewshire, and in 1272 he witnessed the gift which Sir Antonius Lombardus (Anthony the Lombard) made to Paisley of his right in the lands of Fulton to the Abbey of Paisley (ibid., p. 51, 58). In the following year he witnessed, along with William de Knoc, a grant of lands by Malcolm, earl of Lennox to the same Abbey." 4

Early History of the Knoch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knoch research. Another 449 words (32 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1230, 1272, 1280, 1311, 1328, 1330, 1345, 1407, 1408, 1426, 1460, 1463, 1464, 1468, 1475, 1480, 1493, 1505, 1549, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1565, 1567, 1570, 1572, 1592, 1594, 1597, 1605, 1613, 1615, 1621, 1623, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1658, 1659, 1661, 1662, 1679, 1680, 1688, 1720, 1721, 1764, 1775, 1786, 1790, 1791, 1797, 1810, 1812, 1815, 1834, 1837, 1840, 1842, 1862, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Knoch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knoch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Knox, Knock, Knocks and others.

Early Notables of the Knoch family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was John Knox (c.1505-1572), a Scottish religious reformer, a follower of John Calvin and the driving force behind the introduction and establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland; and...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Knoch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Knoch family to Ireland

Some of the Knoch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knoch migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Knoch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Herman Knoch, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787 5

Knoch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Knoch, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 5
Kasper Knoch, who landed in Arkansas in 1880 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Knoch (post 1700) +

Win G. Knoch, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Illinois, 1944 6

The Knoch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Moveo et proficior
Motto Translation: I proceed and am more prosperous.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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