AustriaThe distinguished surname Pokorny is of Austrian origin. It is derived from the Polish word "pokorny," meaning "subservient, humble."
The surname Pokorny was first found in Austria, where the name was first used. During the 11th and 12th centuries, native Slavs living in Austria were often referred to as "Pokorny" by the native Austrians in an assertion of the victory of Otto the Great over the invaders. It is likely that the name evolved from nickname to surname during the early Middle Ages. Literally the name means "the humble one."
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pokorny research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1653, 1867, 1794, 1729, 1794 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Pokorny History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations of this family name include: Pokorny, Pockorny, Pockorni, Bockorni, Bockhorny and others.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pokorny Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Pokorny is the 13,433rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: George Bockhorn, who was naturalized in New York in 1835; Francis Pokorny, who was living in Toronto, Ontario in 1871; Adolf Pokorny, who came to New York in 1872.
