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

Knafel, 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 Knafel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knafel in America

Knafel is the 126765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knafel surname appeared 135 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 Knafel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knafel 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 Knafel

The surname KNAFEL is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Silesia, which is now part of modern-day Poland. The name is thought to have derived from the old German word "knabe," which means "boy" or "servant." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a young male servant or attendant.

The earliest known records of the KNAFEL surname date back to the 16th century in various German and Silesian documents. One notable early reference is found in the Silesian Land Register of 1586, which mentions a certain Hans Knafel, a landowner from the town of Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland).

In the 17th century, the name appears in several church records and tax registers across Silesia. For instance, a Johannes Knafel is listed as a resident of the village of Prittag (now Przydroże Małe, Poland) in the parish records of 1642.

As the KNAFEL family spread across Europe, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Knaffel, Knaffl, and Knafflich. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes or record-keepers.

One notable bearer of the KNAFEL name was Johann Knafel (1638-1702), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in Silesia during the late 17th century. His compositions for organ and choir are still studied and performed by musicians today.

Another individual of note was Maria Knafel (1760-1832), a Polish noblewoman and landowner from the Silesian town of Oberglogau (now Głogówek, Poland). Historical records indicate that she was a prominent figure in the local community and a patron of the arts.

In the 19th century, members of the KNAFEL family began to migrate to other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, Karl Knafel (1805-1879) was a German-born engineer who emigrated to the United States in the 1840s and played a significant role in the construction of early railroads in the American Midwest.

Another notable figure was Maximilian Knafel (1858-1924), an Austrian-born architect and urban planner who was influential in the development of several cities in what is now Croatia and Serbia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the KNAFEL surname is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and numerous countries, reflecting the diverse journeys and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knafel

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

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

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

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