Koenig
A German surname meaning “king,” often originally a nickname, status name, or house sign.
The #1,592 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 13,723 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Koenig is the German form of a surname built from the word for “king” (Modern German König, older spellings Koenig or Koenig/Koenig with oe for the umlaut). As a family name, it usually began as a nickname for someone who acted in a kingly way, had a lofty bearing, or perhaps lived or worked at a house marked by a king sign. In some cases it may also have been used for someone in a service role connected with a ruler or with a ceremonial “king” title.
History
The surname is long established in German-speaking areas and spread widely through migration to North America and elsewhere. It is especially common in German-American communities, where the spelling Koenig often preserves the older transliteration for the umlauted German form König. Related spellings such as König and Koenig are both seen, with Koenig often used in English-language records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
König/Koenig is one of the classic German surnames formed from a high-status word, much like King in English or Roi in French.
From the historical record
“Tyne : Brand's Newcastle, i. $23. 1786. Married— Johan Christian Koenig and Sally Anne Stckelmore: St Geo. Han. Sq. i. 387- London, i, 2, o ; Philadelphia, o, o, 3.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)