Knoel
An invented name with no known meaning or origin.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Knoel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Knoel today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Knoel births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Knoel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Knoel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#13,337
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Knoel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Knoel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Knoel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Knoel
The given name Knoel has its origins in the ancient Germanic languages, tracing back to the early medieval period around the 6th century CE. It is derived from the Proto-Germanic root "*knuð-," which means "knot" or "bond." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname or designation, possibly referring to someone's physical strength or ability to tie intricate knots.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knoel can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical chronicle from the 9th century CE. It mentions a Frankish warrior named Knoel who fought alongside Charles the Bald during the Viking invasions. Unfortunately, not much is known about this individual beyond his name and military service.
In the 11th century, a monk named Knoel is mentioned in the records of the Abbey of Cluny, a prominent Benedictine monastery in Burgundy, France. He is believed to have been a skilled calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts, though few of his works have survived to the present day.
During the Crusades, a knight named Knoel de Montfort is recorded as having participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192 CE) under the command of Richard the Lionheart. He is said to have distinguished himself in several battles against the Saracen forces, but little else is known about his life or deeds.
In the 14th century, a Dutch painter named Knoel van Eyck was active in the court of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. He is credited with several religious paintings and altarpieces, although many of his works have been lost or destroyed over time.
Another notable bearer of the name was Knoel Rosenberg, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 16th century. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and authored several treatises on the motion of planets and comets.
While the name Knoel has fallen out of widespread use in modern times, it remains a unique and intriguing name with a rich historical legacy. Its ancient Germanic roots and associations with strength, skill, and scholarly pursuits make it a name with a fascinating story to tell.
People
Knoel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Knoel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Knoel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Knoel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Knoel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Knoel a common name?
We classify Knoel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Knoel most popular?
The single biggest year for Knoel was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Knoel is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Knoel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Knoel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Knoel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Knoel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Knoel in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Knoel can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Knoel?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Knoel, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.