Kunz Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Kunz last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Kunz last name
Meaning of the Kunz last name: son of Kunz (Konrad, "bold counsel"). Kunz comes from Kunz, the most popular medieval short form of the personal name Konrad, from Germanic kuoni, "bold", and rāt, "counsel". Konrad was so common that the saying "Hinz und Kunz", Heinrich and Konrad, came to mean "every Tom, Dick and Harry". The surname is most frequent in Bavaria, Swabia and Switzerland. Konrad was borne by kings, dukes and bishops of the Holy Roman Empire, beginning with Conrad I in the early 10th century, and it spread from the nobility to townspeople and peasants across southern Germany. Its many short and pet forms, among them Kunz, Kuntz, Kunze and Kunzel, became surnames in different regions. In the eastern German lands the ending -e is typical, giving Kunze in Saxony and Silesia. Kunz families from Switzerland, Alsace and Württemberg emigrated to Pennsylvania in the 18th century, where the spelling often became Coons, Koons or Kuntz.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Kunz name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Kunz name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Switzerland, Austria and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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The researched Kunz pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Kunz coat of arms.
Kunz name FAQ
What does the Kunz name mean?
Son of Kunz (Konrad, "bold counsel"). Common variants include Kuntz, Kunze, Cuntz.
Where does the Kunz surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in Switzerland, Austria and the United States.
Is there a Kunz coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Kunz crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Kunz coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).