Map of Germany showing where the Knoch arms are recorded
The Knoch arms were recorded in Saxony, c. 1765.
Saxony had mines, trade and old landed families all at once. Silver made some fortunes and land held others, and both sorts of family kept arms, which is why Saxon names appear so often 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 Knoch 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 Saxony.
Origin & History of the Knoch Family in Germany
The surname Knoch originates from the German language and is rooted in the Middle High German word *knoche*, which translates to bone or knuckle. In the medieval period, this name was often used as a descriptive nickname for a person who was particularly thin, bony, or physically rugged. By the mid-18th century, the family was well-established in the region of Saxony. Records from 1765 confirm that members of the Knoch family were active participants in the local society of this German state. During this era, families in Saxony were often tied to specific trades or agricultural life, and the name became a permanent identifier for these individuals as they moved through the social and economic structures of the time.
Related Branches & Arms
Root word
Knoche
A Middle High German term referring to a bone or knuckle.
This name
KnochA topographic or occupational name for a person living near a knoll or a bony ridge.
also spelled
Knock
Related arms
Knockvariant spelling
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
Sächsisches Staatsarchiv, Kirchenbücher der evangelisch-lutherischen Landeskirche Sachsens, 1765
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mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
mulletThe third son, and a divine quality from above
