Map of Germany showing where the Knöbel arms are recorded
The Knöbel arms were recorded in Nuremberg, c. 1765.
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 Knöbel 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 Germany.
Origin & History of the Knöbel Family in Germany
The surname Knöbel originates from the Middle High German word *knobel*, which translates to a small knot, knob, or lump. In the context of medieval naming conventions, this term was often used as a descriptive nickname for a person who was short and stocky or perhaps someone who possessed a particularly prominent physical feature. By the time the family was firmly established in Nuremberg in 1765, the name had evolved into a recognized surname within the city’s bustling artisan and merchant classes. During the eighteenth century, Nuremberg was a major center for metalworking and trade, and families like the Knöbels were often integrated into the local guilds that defined the city's social and economic life. This period marked a time of transition where the family name became a permanent marker of their identity within the urban landscape of the Holy Roman Empire.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Knob
A rounded protuberance, lump, or knob-like growth.
This name
KnöbelA topographic name for someone living near a hillock or a nickname for a person with a stout build.
also spelled
Knoble
Noble
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. 1967
Heintze, Albert. Die deutschen Familien-Namen: geschichtlich, geographisch, sprachlich. 1903
Stadtarchiv Nürnberg. Bürgerbücher der Reichsstadt Nürnberg. 1765
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saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
saltireResolution, and St Andrew's cross
arrowReadiness for battle, and affliction endured
