HAUSKNECHT
History and Meaning of the Name
A definition for the name Hausknecht - German: occupational name from Middle High German hus "house" and knëcht "boy", "servant", also a town-hall messenger.
There seems to be a bit of confusion regarding this name. In German "der Knecht" was a farm labourer, bonded labourer or serf - but always applied to a male. The feminine equivalent would be "die Magd" only used for farm or country work and only female. Der Hausknecht would be a general labourer on a farm or estate but working more about the "Haus". "Haus" apart from meaning "house" anyway is not uncommonly changed to "House" in English due to the pronounciation.
The earliest record of the surname dates back to the fourteenth century when one Der Backer (The Baker) Hausknecht was recorded as residing in Augsburg in 1321. This name can be found in all German speaking countries especially in the low German speaking areas such as Austria, Bavaria, Holland and Switzerland.