Map of Germany showing where the Knepp arms are recorded
The Knepp arms were recorded in Bavaria, c. 1765.
Bavaria was a country of old landed families and walled market towns. Estates passed down the same line for centuries, and both the landowners and the leading townsmen kept arms, which is why so many Bavarian names sit in the registers.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in Germany in this period.
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Sovereign of the period
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
1745–1765
Reigning in Germany when the Knepp arms are first recorded.
How Arms Worked in Germany
In the Holy Roman Empire, coats of arms were often granted to individuals by the Emperor or his representatives. These arms were then passed down through the generations to all legitimate descendants of the original holder. Younger branches of a family usually kept the same shield design without needing to change it, as the arms belonged to the entire lineage.
Granting authority
The Holy Roman Emperor held the sole power to grant new coats of arms throughout his vast imperial territories.
How they got arms
Families typically obtained their coats of arms through a formal imperial grant or by proving their noble status to the authorities.
Where arms were recorded
These grants were officially recorded in the Imperial Chancery registers, which began keeping formal records of such honors during the Middle Ages.
The family's standing
Recorded among the armigerous families of Bavaria.
Origin & History of the Knepp Family in Germany
The family name Knepp has deep roots in the historical region of Bavaria, where records confirm members of the family were established by the year 1765. The name likely originated as a descriptive term or a nickname based on the Middle High German word "knep," which often referred to a small hill, a rounded knob, or a button. Families during this period frequently adopted surnames based on the specific landscape features near their homes or the trades they practiced. Given the geography of southern Germany, it is probable that the earliest ancestors lived near a prominent hill or worked as craftsmen who produced buttons or fasteners. Over time, as families moved through the German states, the spelling evolved to fit local dialects, eventually solidifying into the form recognized today. This history reflects the common practice of naming families after their immediate environment and daily occupations in eighteenth-century Europe.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Knappe
A young man serving as a knight's attendant or squire.
This name
KneppRefers to a person who worked as a squire or a young servant in medieval society.
also spelled
Knop
Documented Sources
J. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Bahlow, Hans, Deutsches Namenlexikon: Familien- und Vornamen nach Ursprung und Sinn erklärt, 1972
Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher und Standesamtsunterlagen, 1765
Heintze, Albert, Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich, 1903
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fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
fleur de lisPurity, light, and the sixth son
