Kunze History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name Kunze is an abbreviated form of the name Konrad, inheriting the same meaning "bold adviser", or being "crafty." In Yiddish, the word is associated with a "clever trick."

Konrad is derived from the Middle High German word Kuonrat, popularly used in the Middle Ages and today is seen n the common idiom "Hinz and Kunz," meaning "absolutely everyone." 1

Early Origins of the Kunze family

The surname Kunze was first found in Bohemia and Silesia, where the name was an integral part of the feudal society which would shape modern European history. Individual bearers of the name first mentioned in ancient chronicles include Cuntz der Kuentzel of Kempten (West of Frankfurt) who lived around 1382, and Cuncze von Cracow who lived in Liegnitz, Silesia in 1388. 1

Early History of the Kunze family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kunze research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1701, 1767, 1792, 1839 and 1894 are included under the topic Early Kunze History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kunze Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Kunze, Kunz, Kunzel, Kuenz, Kuenze, Kuenzel, Cuntz, Kuntz, Kuntze, Kuntzel, Kuentz, Kunts, Kundt, Kuent, Kunth, Kunt, Kuhnt, Kuehnt, Kuntse, Kuntsel, Kunstler, Kuents, Kuentse, Cuncze and many more.

Early Notables of the Kunze family

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

Kunze Ranking

In the United States, the name Kunze is the 10,885^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Kunze migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Kunze Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Anna Margaretha Kunze, who settled in Philadelphia in 1773
Anna Margaretha Kunze, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773-1774 3

Kunze Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Ernst Kunze, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 3
Gustav E Kunze, who arrived in Texas in 1850-1906 3
Johanna Kunze, who landed in Texas in 1854 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Kunze (post 1700) +

John Christopher Kunze (1744-1807), American Lutheran minister, educator, author and theologian
Dana Kunze, American champion high-diver who has held world records for the highest dives from 1977 to 1984
Eric Kunze (b. 1971), American Broadway actor and singer
Heinz Rudolf Erich Arthur Kunze (b. 1956), German writer and rock singer
Andreas Kunze (1952-2010), German actor and photographer
Michael Kunze (b. 1943), German Grammy Award winning lyricist, book writer and librettist, known for his work on Elisabeth (1992), Dance of the Vampires (1996), Mozart! (1999), Marie Antoinette (2006), and Rebecca (2006); he has been awarded 79 Gold and Platinum records
Johannes Kunze (1903-1943), German World War II prisoner of war who was beaten to death by fellow inmates for being a spy for the Americans; five German POWs were charged with his murder, his death inspired the novel Extreme Justice by Vince Greene
Reiner Kunze (b. 1933), German writer
Hansjörg Kunze (b. 1959), German track and field athlete
Gustav Kunze (1793-1851), German zoologist and entomologist

Historic Events for the Kunze family +

Bismarck

Walter Kunze (1920-1994), German Matrose serving aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he survived the sinking 4

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details