Knor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Knor 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 Knor was a name for a hunchback. The distinguished name Knor is derived from the German word "knorre," which means "lump" or "outgrowth."

Early Origins of the Knor family

The surname Knor 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 Knor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knor 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 Knor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knor Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Knor family

Notable members of the surname Knor 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) was a German composer and teacher of the group of English composers known as the "Frankfurt Group...

Knor migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Knor Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Nicklaus Knor, who arrived in America in 1766 1
Leonhart Knor, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1767 1

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)