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How to explain our family name…

by Harald von Knorring

There have been many attempts made to explain the meaning of our family name. Many times we have got the question what the family name means, from where we have got it etc. It is rather obvious that some special circumstances must have been present when this name was created, as it is rather odd compared to other, more common names.

In order to start an investigation, it is really usefull to posess a certain amount of etymological competence, if not it is suggested to ask for it. Until then, a good start is to check the etymological titles at the library.

Here in Uppsala a visitor is really well provided at the University library Carolina Rediviva.

In our case, we are especially interested in German etymology, as we know the name first occurred in Thuringia, todays mid Germany.

And in this library, the very respected dictionary of Gebrüder Grimm from 1854 in 16 bands is avaible. And what´s more, today it is even accessable on the internet, click here.

In this dictionary, the explanations and meanings of the word knorr and its different varieties covers several pages. It is stated it is of german origin, occurs in several aspects, meanings and among so different disciplines as botany, medicin, technology, zoology, dendrology etc.

However, the over all domination use of the word knorr is designated to a differential and characteristic shape on older trees. Trees that due to age has become especially hunched and with gnarled branches was called "knorrig" in german. A really peevish and aged oak, with thick, crooked and gnarled branches could be called as "ein knorriger Eich" in german.

So, where is the logics in linking this very little honourable description to the first bearers of the original family name Knorr? One attempt was made by the german Karl Johann Paulsen, who during the 1980s on comission of baron Gotthard von Knorring in Finland made some family research in German archives. In our family book it can be read that he (Paulsen) consider the name as belonging to those describing some characteristic aspects of its bearer, i.e. the person being a rather peevish and repugnant type.

Today there are more knowledge published in this subject, therefore it is really attractive to get informed of the latest experiences among german etymological research. A very respected and oftenly engaged institution in these subject is the department for "Namensberatung und Namenkunde" at the university of Leipzig, managed by professor Jürgen Udolph. Together with Dr. Sebastian Fitzek he has written the book "Professor Udolphs Buch der Namen" (…book of names).

There they specify that all German family names, and without exception, originates from one of the following five categories

1. Given names

2. Geographical origin

3. Name of settlement

4. Describing name

5. Name of profession

Some examples from the book:

Given names. Suppose there where more than one Conrad present in the same village, to get the attention from just one of them, he could for example be called as "You Conrad, son of Fredrik..." or "Fredriks Condrad!" which by the time was developed into "Conrad Fredriksson".

Geographical origin. This group of family names is recognized by their content of a name on a rather well known city, i.e. Altenburg, Eisenberger etc.

Name of settlement. This group also points on a persons geographical origin, but in a smaller scale. Especially prominent hallmarks close to the settlement, or charateristic places in the surroundings could have been used as the origin of a surname. As some examples prof. Udolph mentions that the one who lived near the river of Anger also got the family name of Anger or Angermann, the one living near the tree (der Baum) was named Baum, and the one living near Wiese was named something like Wiesner, Wiesmann or Wiesemann.

To this group belong names, which originates from the names of certain places, but only known rather locally, within its region. That is why they do not appear in the language later on, meaning they look unitelligible to us prof. Udolph writes.

Describing names. Names that describes a person are assigned to this group. According to prof Udolph a person born on a Sunday could get the family name of Sonntag, the big one got be named Gross (-er), the short one Kurz, the lighthaired one Weiss (-e), Weisskopf or Wittkopf, the darkhaired one Schwarz (-e, -er), the balled one Kahlkopf, the one who known as alert in the morning could be named as Frühauf. For this category it is a persons expressed or characterizing discrepancy that is the base for the following name giving process.

Name of profession. Among the 20th most common German family names occurs Müller (Miller), Schmied (Smith), Fischer (Fisher), Bäcker (Baker), Bauer (Builder), Wagner (Wagoner) and Koch (Cook)

Of the above five possible categories, earlier attempts to interpret our family name has been limited to four, and Paulsen concludes that the bearer of the family name Knorr was a "…short, thick and in a symbolic meaning a rugh and less appreciated pesron…"

Honestly, I wonder if he had a score to settle with his assigner baron Gotthard in Finland?

As a matter of fact, there are several reasons to doubt this interpretation.

Even if somebody is appealed to in a somewhat disparaging way, it seems very unlikely that it would be accepted as a family name and taken in use by the object himself. Especially in our case, as it concerns knights and other respected persons, and therefore oftenly had to use their names in written documents. And besides, together with a personal seal, which only was allowed to sovereigns, bishops and the higher nobility.

Another reason for a renewed interpretation is simply to try the category nr 3.

To begin with, you can state that there where and still are a number of places which names originates from the word knorr. Atleast these three examples can be found: die Knorr´sche Quellen (the Knorr wells), Knorrenhecke (…hedge) and Knorrenlohe. This are names on places that where locally well known in its own time. And the Knorr´sche Quellen is situated just on the same spot as we find the oldest known origin for our forefathers, from the same time as when family names was introduced.

The word knorr, which according to etymological dictionaries oftenly was used to describe the characteristics of a tree, it seems most plausible that a local place could constitute the base for the family name. For example, an oak hill, with especially hunched oaks with gnarled branches. And while they where so unevenly grown they would be permanently rejected for any use, as other trees where much easier to get use of. That is why these short and thick oaks where left untouched for many generations, giving them just the characterizing look as the meaning of the German word "knorrig".

There could have been such an oak hill in the village of Uder in Eichsfeld (Oakfield!). And if these oaks also stood close at the most important water wells in the village, strong resaons are present for the suggestion that the place with the knorry oaks gave the name to both the wells and their owner, and not the contrary. And the place can still be seen, and is still known ast the Knorr´she Quellen by the older inhabitants, at the adress of Smithy Alley. Here you can see how it looked like in 1938 and in oktober 2006 when I visited it.