Koonce
A surname probably from a shortened German form of Konrad or a related name, later spelled in various Americanized ways.
The #5,878 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 52,597 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The old surname literature often treats Koonce as a variant of German Kuntz, a shortened form of Konrad. In that tradition, the name ultimately goes back to the Germanic elements meaning roughly "bold counsel." The spelling Koonce is an English-looking American form that reflects how the name was heard and written in the United States.
History
This surname appears in American records in several spellings, especially where German names were adapted to English spelling. The source excerpt specifically equates Koonce with Kuntz, which suggests a German immigrant background rather than a native English origin. As with many surnames of this type, the modern spelling may conceal earlier forms such as Kuntz, Koontz, or Koons.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same surname family can show up under several spellings in U.S. records because clerks often wrote names the way they sounded.
From the historical record
“Koogler — Kugler, Koon — Kuhn, Koonce = Kuntz, Koons = Kuntz, Koots — Kutz, Kopenhofer, p. 315 Kottcamp, p. 315 Kottmeyer, p. 310”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names