Koe

Koe has an English surname history as a form of Coe, an old nickname surname connected with the jackdaw. A jackdaw is a small member of the crow family, and animal nicknames were one way earlier communities distinguished people. This gives the short spelling a history beyond its resemblance to other modern names beginning with K.

Singer-songwriter Koe Wetzel is a recognizable bearer of the given name; his name honors musician David Allan Coe. That is a clear example of a surname becoming a personal tribute. Koe also occurs in unrelated Dutch and Chinese surname traditions, so the jackdaw explanation belongs specifically to the English Coe route rather than to every family with these three letters.