Kuntz
A German surname usually from the short form of Conrad, meaning “bold counsel.”
The #3,307 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,461 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kuntz is a German surname that developed as a diminutive or pet form of the given name Konrad (Conrad). The old first-name element behind Konrad combines words meaning “bold” or “brave” and “counsel,” so the name was understood as something like “bold counsel.” In older dialect spelling, short forms such as Kunz, Kuntz, and related variants could arise from the same root.
History
The surname is especially associated with German-speaking areas, where short-name forms from given names became hereditary family names. Historical surname studies also note related spellings such as Kunz, Kunze, and Kuntzmann. German immigrant families carried the name to North America, where it remains relatively uncommon but well established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older surname dictionaries grouped Kuntz with other names derived from Konrad, showing how one medieval nickname could generate several modern surnames.
From the historical record
“1) Diese lächerlichen Schreibangen finden ein Gegenstück nur in den Entstellungen deutscher Namen auf Häuserschildern in Metz (vor 1870): Chemit (Schmidt), Quoinxe (Kuntz), CÄo«<//«e (Schulze) u. a. — Über die Pol onisierungen früherer Jahrhunderte spricht Winckler, »Die Nationalitäten Pommerellens ** S. 4. f.…”
— Die deutschen Familiennamen