Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage English, German Pronounced Pron. NAWP-flər(English) NAWF-lər(English) KNAWP-flu(German) [key·IPA] Meaning & History Derived from Knopf (German for "button"), this surname was originally given to button makers or button sellers. A famous bearer of this surname is English musician Mark Knopfler (1949-).