Where could the last name Knoss be from?

Question:We pronounce it n-aw-s

I've found the name Noss that is Duch/English/German. I've also found Knouse which is English and related to Knossington. If you say it as K-n-oh-s it sounds very Greek (palace at Knossos). What do you think could be the real source? We can't trace my family further back than Wisconsin and it is a difficult name to find online. There aren't very many of us.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: We pronounce it n-aw-s

I've found the name Noss that is Duch/English/German. I've also found Knouse which is English and related to Knossington. If you say it as K-n-oh-s it sounds very Greek (palace at Knossos). What do you think could be the real source? We can't trace my family further back than Wisconsin and it is a difficult name to find online. There aren't very many of us.

I am afraid that you are getting diverted by looking for a surname, instead of looking at the individual person and their records. Persons entered in census records were at the mercy of the enumerator, who did NOT always spell correctly as we look at it today. There is an Otto and Amelia in Wisconsin in 1880, with two sons, Arthur and Henry. The parents were born in Prussia. Hans and Lina are also in Wisc, with their children..this couple was born in Norway. Trying to use the "correct" spelling in a computer search can trip you up, if the original record was spelled differently.
Again.. the way to verify where your ancestors are from, is using the records that apply to them. The examples I used, are only guesses, since I don't have any first names or dates/ localities to work with. It is also not clear exactly what records you have used in your search.

Use the census records. Yes, they are at the mercy of the enumerators who did the best job they knew how to do but sometimes misspelled a name or two.

The census records can also help you with who was living in the house at the time, who was living close by, sometimes they list the occupations of the persons in the household and shows the place they were born as well as the birthplace of the parents. You can find census records online at www.ancestry.com, www.rootsweb.com and by going to your local library (most libraries have free access to ancestry.com)