Find out how popular the last name Kight is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kight.

Kight, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kight surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kight in America

Kight is the 6753rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kight surname appeared 4,992 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Kight.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kight to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kight

The surname Kight has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnihte," which means "servant" or "attendant." This term was commonly used to refer to young men who served in aristocratic households or as military attendants.

In the early medieval period, the name Kight was typically associated with individuals who held positions of service or worked as household attendants for noble families. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records and documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from the late 13th century.

The surname Kight has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, with alternative forms including Knighte, Knight, and Knyght. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and scribal conventions of the time.

One notable historical reference to the name Kight can be found in the Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions individuals with the surname Knight, which was likely an early spelling variant of Kight.

Among the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Kight was John Kight, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another early record is that of Walter Kight, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Gloucestershire in 1384.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Kight. One such figure was Thomas Kight (c. 1550-1622), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1619 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir William Kight (1586-1652), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, John Kight (1724-1796) was a successful merchant and landowner in Virginia, USA, who played a significant role in the economic development of the colony. Another notable figure was Sarah Kight (1796-1876), an American folk artist and painter known for her intricate embroidery and needlework.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Kight was Sir Richard Kight (1826-1902), a British military officer and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of railways and infrastructure in India during the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kight

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kight.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kight was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kight has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kight was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kight, please contact us.

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