They used both terms, but they only related to round or oval shaped door handles/knobs, generally the Victorians didn't have lever door handles.

In terms of the Victorian period , as far as we know, nothing.  

Generally, door handle refers to lever door handles and the term knobs refers to both lever and round/oval. We use both terms.

As usual nothings standard in the hardware world, here in the UK we didn't really have lever door handles until the 1920s & 30s, so we've historically used both terms. I was always led to believe we stuck with round & oval knobs was something to do with the Victorians and servants!