|
a.
|
Note: (See "Craig's Coon / Coe Family" in the Family History File) ORIGIN OF THE COON NAME (Cousin Warren: where did this book come from?) Here are some excerpts from the book, "Koon and Coons Families of Eastern New York" on the history of the name: This book is a history or the descendants of Matthias Kuntz and Samuel Kuhn (two distinct families) who came with the Palatine Immigration from Germany and settled on the Hudson River in New York in 1710. However, many of the descendants are now scattered all over the U.S. and go by many different variations of the name.
One author writes: "It is a most amazing fact that, including the use of the initials "C" and "K" and omitting the erroneous use of forms belonging to the Coon family, and also omitting the terminal "n" sometimes employed with or without a connection vowel, this simple family name of only one syllable has been found spelled in 75 different ways in the various records consulted, not to mention the many other ways suggested by analogy. This seems like an incredible feat in spelling, but we quote herewith these75 forms, as follows: Coanz, Coens, Koens, Koehns, Koensee, Coentz, Kohns, Conce, Konce, Conces, Cones, Kones, Cons, Kons, Conse, Const, Contz, Konz, Konze; Coonce, Koonce, Coones, Koones, Coons, Koons, Coonse, Koonse, Koonst, Coonts, Koonts,Coontz, Koontz, Coonz, Koonz, Koonze; Kounce, Counes, Couns, Kouns,Kounse, Countes, Counts, Countz, Kountz, Countze, Kountze, Counz; Cuens, Kuens, Kuenz, Cunns, Kuhns, Kuhntz, Kuhnz, Cuinst, Kundts, Kundtz, Kunes, Cunitz, Cuns, Kuns, Kunse, Cunst, Kunst, Cunts, Kunts, Cuntz, Kuntz, Kuntze, Cunz, Kunz, Cunze, Kunze, Kunzes, and Kunzs."
Another author writes: "Matthias Kuntz gave his German home as "Bischmisheim near Saarbrucken"on some marriage records of his children. The author of the book writes, "In 1928 I made a visit to Saarbrucken, a thriving town of about100,000 people, which had come into prominence because of the fact that in1935 it would have a plebiscite to decide whether it would belong to Germany or France, and also because the Saar basin, after the war, had been a matter of great contention." The author visited Bischmisheim and found the name of Matthias Kuntz which was spelled, "Kuntzen" used in the record of baptism which is the possessive form of "Kuntz".
Regarding the research on this name for this book, another author wrote the following: "Our work has been made exceedingly difficult, first by the fact that three distinct and entirely unrelated families are involved and, second by the confusion of these family names both in original records and in modern use. Descendants of all three families are sometimes found living in the same locality and with some of them using the spelling of the family name which rightly belongs to one of the other families instead. Two of these three families were of Dutch, German or Swiss origin-one originally Coens (or Kuntz), and the other Coen (or Kuhn). We have only a few notes on Dutch or Swiss branches, but find that most of our early Kuntz and Kuhn families came to New York with the German Palatines in 1710.These are the two families considered in this book, and the distinguishing feature between them is the use or omission of the final "s" or "z" in the original form of the name. The Coens-Kuntz family became mostly Coons, though one important branch first became Koons and then split into Koon and Koonz. This family is descended from Matthias Kuntz, one of the German Palatine immigrants of 1710, and is the family to which two of the authors of this book belong (Kate Koon Bovey and W.S. Coons). (However, I believe my line may come from this and they were called "Coon" -Denise)
The Coen-Kuhn family became mostly Coon, though some retained the German "K" and became Koon, while many adds an "s" and became Coons. This family descended from Samuel Kuhn, another of the German Palatine immigrants of 1710, and is the family which Leon C. Hills and Carroll Koon belong (additional authors).
The third family we have not included in this volume, as the Rev. Warren Patten Coon of Newark, N.J., is gathering data regarding it. It is the MacCoon family, which is of Scotch origin and came to New York from Rhode Island before the Revolutionary War. It, also, became mostly Coon, though some retain the Mac or Mc and spelled the second syllable in various ways, the change to Coon being made before they left Rhode Island. " I hope this sheds a little more light on the Coon name. -Denise (WHO IS THIS?) Also, who is Debra Coon East Swanton, Ohio 1994 3932 Wilkins Rd Ph. 419-826-9401(from Warren)
POSSIBLE INDIAN CONNECTIONS There are some interesting thoughts (wild stories abound) on the internet about the possible Indian origins of the Coon name. One said their Coon name came from a Canadian Indian tribe. Another said their Coon name came from an Indian name, white translation: "Coonstick" that was shortened to sound even more white. Another said their Coon ancestor was a Cherokee "princess"�but there's no such thing. A daughter of a chief was just another squaw. Other variations, spellings and stories (Kuhn, Koontz, McCune) indicate the name is German / Dutch or Scot. Any other input out there?
|
