Kuhnke

This famous German surname and original personal name of the pre 7th century, is recorded in over one hundred spellings throughout Europe and Scandanavia. These include the basic forms of Conrad (Medieval German and post medieval English and French), Konrad, Kohrt, Kordt, Kunrad, Kuhndert, Kuhnt, and Kurth found mainly in Austria, Germany and Switzerland, to Koenraad (Czech), Kondrat (Russia), Corradi (Italian), Cunradi (Tuscany), Korlat (Hungary), diminutives such as Kienzle, Kunc, Kunz, Kuntz, Kunzel, Zunzelman, and patronymics Kurten, Coners, Conerding, Conradsen, Coenraets, and Kondratovich, and many, many, more. The origination is the ancient compound given name 'Kuoni-rad', which loosely translates as 'brave counsel', and is one of a very large group of similar Germanic names from about fifteen hundred years ago that include Albert, Frederick, and Willhelm. All have similar meanings associated with strength (of both mind and body), victory and courage. It may be that all relate to 'wishful thinking' or hope for the future, as the development of these names coincided with a period of total chaos and seemingly endless war and invasion throughout Europe, following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century. The name has been recorded since time immemorial, and the first of what might loosely be called a hereditary surname recording, may be that of Conrad Conradi, (Conrad, the son of Little Conrad), in the charters of the German town of Elsabe in the year 1297, with Rudolf Kunzelman or Cunzelman being recorded in Ulm, Switzerland, in 1337.