NameCensus.

UK surname

Koenig

A German and Dutch occupational surname meaning "king," originally referring to a tribal leader or village chief.

In the 1881 census there were 22 people recorded with the Koenig surname, ranking it #30,464 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, up from #30,464 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Merton and Maldon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Koenig is 158 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 600.0%.

1881 census count

22

Ranked #30,464

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2014

158 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Koenig had 22 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,464 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 55 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Koenig surname distribution map

The map shows where the Koenig surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Koenig surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Koenig over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 7 #32,070
1861 historical 3 #33,861
1881 historical 22 #30,464
1891 historical 32 #31,754
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 55 #27,313
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 106 #26,689
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 103 #27,531
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 115 #26,348
2008 modern 128 #24,901
2009 modern 130 #25,176
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 137 #24,716
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 153 #23,314
2014 modern 158 #23,022
2015 modern 148 #23,934
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Koenigs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Merton, Maldon, Kensington and Chelsea and Cotswold. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 032 Shropshire
2 Merton 002 Merton
3 Maldon 008 Maldon
4 Kensington and Chelsea 015 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Cotswold 006 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Koenig

These lists show first names that appear often with the Koenig surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Koenig

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Koenig, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Koenig surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Koenig household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Koenig is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Koenig is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Koenig falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Koenig is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Koenig, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Koenig

The surname Koenig is of German origin, derived from the German word "König" meaning "king". It originated in the Germanic regions of central Europe during the Middle Ages.

The name was initially used as a descriptive surname for someone who held a position of authority or power, similar to a king or ruler. It may have also been given to someone who had a regal bearing or appearance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Koenig can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, which mentions a person named "Heinrich Koenig" in the year 1295.

In the 14th century, the name Koenig appeared in the Reichsmatrikel, an imperial register of estates in the Holy Roman Empire, which listed several individuals with this surname from various regions of Germany.

During the Renaissance period, a notable bearer of the name was Johannes Koenig, a German mathematician and astronomer born in 1618. He made significant contributions to the study of optics and the development of the telescope.

Another prominent figure with the surname Koenig was Johann Samuel Koenig, a German inventor born in 1712. He is credited with developing the first successful typesetting machine, which revolutionized the printing industry.

In the 19th century, the name Koenig was associated with Rudolph Koenig, a German physicist and acoustician born in 1832. He is renowned for his work on the physical principles of sound and the design of acoustical instruments.

The surname Koenig also has variations in spelling, such as König, Konig, and Koning, which can be found in different regions of Germany and the Netherlands.

Additionally, the name Koenig has been linked to various place names, such as Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), which means "King's Mountain", and Königsfeld, a town in the Black Forest region of Germany.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Koenig families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Koenig surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 10 Koenigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.66x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 10 4.66x
Cheshire 6 12.67x
Surrey 3 2.87x
Glamorgan 1 2.68x
Kent 1 1.37x
Northumberland 1 3.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bowdon in Cheshire leads with 6 Koenigs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3157.89x.

Place Total Index
Bowdon 6 3157.89x
Islington London 6 28.87x
Battersea 1 12.67x
Bromley London 1 21.19x
Camberwell 1 7.30x
Cardiff St Mary 1 48.54x
Hammersmith London 1 18.94x
Lambeth 1 5.35x
Lewisham 1 25.64x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 60.61x
St George Hanover Square 1 26.46x
St Pancras London 1 5.79x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Koenig surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Anna 1
Elisabeth 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Ida 1
Louise 1
Marie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Koenig surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Alexander 1
August 1
Charles 1
George 1
Henry 1
Herman 1
Hermann 1
Julius 1
Ludwig 1
Richard 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Koenig households.

FAQ

Koenig surname: questions and answers

How common was the Koenig surname in 1881?

In 1881, 22 people were recorded with the Koenig surname. That placed it at #30,464 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Koenig surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Koenig a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Koenig surname mean?

A German and Dutch occupational surname meaning "king," originally referring to a tribal leader or village chief.

What does the Koenig map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Koenig bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.