Knickerbocker is a Dutch surname and a type of clothing. It is a name often cited in reference to New York City--an allusion to the fictional character "Father Knickerbocker" who, according to the tale, was the head of the first socially prominent family in New York. According to Ken Burns "New York," generations of New Yorkers proudly claimed to be descendants of the Knickerbocker family, despite its fictional roots. -- Wikipedia