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

Knaack, 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 Knaack surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knaack in America

Knaack is the 20884th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knaack surname appeared 1,262 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Knaack.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knaack 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 Knaack

The surname KNAACK has its origins in Germany, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Knack," which means a small crack or snap. This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who worked with wood or performed a similar occupation that involved making cracking or snapping sounds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the KNAACK surname can be found in the town of Wittstock, located in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. In a document dated 1472, a man named Hans Knaack is mentioned as a resident of the town. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by the late medieval period.

The KNAACK surname can also be traced back to the town of Pritzwalk, situated in the same state of Brandenburg. Historical records from the 16th century reveal several individuals with this surname living in the area, indicating that it had spread across multiple towns and villages within the region.

Throughout the centuries, the KNAACK name has been associated with various notable figures. One such individual was Johann Knaack, a German theologian born in 1625 in the town of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia). He was known for his scholarly works on religious subjects and contributed significantly to the intellectual discourse of his time.

Another prominent KNAACK was Karl Knaack, a German classical scholar born in 1833 in the town of Prenzlau, Brandenburg. He dedicated his life to the study of ancient Greek literature and philosophy, and his works on the subject are still referenced today by scholars and academics.

In the 19th century, a man named Gustav Knaack made his mark as a successful entrepreneur and industrialist. Born in 1828 in the town of Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), he founded a successful machinery manufacturing company that played a significant role in the industrialization of Germany during that period.

The KNAACK surname has also been linked to various place names and geographical locations throughout Germany. For instance, the village of Knaack, located in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, likely derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting that individuals bearing this name may have been among the earliest settlers or landowners in the area.

It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the KNAACK surname have existed over time, such as Knack, Knacke, and Knacken. These variations often reflect regional dialects and linguistic differences within the German language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knaack

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

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 Knaack 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 Knaack 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 Knaack was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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