2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Knakal
A surname of Slavic origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "small" or "little."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Knakal. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knakal surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Knakal in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knakal, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knakal
The surname KNAKAL is believed to have originated in Poland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Polish word "knajać," which means "to grumble" or "to complain." This suggests that the name may have been given as a nickname to someone known for their tendency to grumble or complain frequently.
The earliest recorded instances of the KNAKAL surname can be traced back to the 16th century in various Polish parish records and historical documents. One notable example is the mention of a Jan KNAKAL in the records of the city of Krakow, dated 1572. It is likely that the name was initially more common in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia, where Polish was the predominant language.
In the 17th century, the name KNAKAL appeared in the records of the Polish nobility, indicating that some members of the family had achieved a certain level of status and recognition. For instance, a nobleman named Jakub KNAKAL was listed in the registry of the Polish gentry in 1642.
As families with the KNAKAL surname migrated and settled in different parts of Europe, the name underwent slight spelling variations, such as KNAKAL, KNAKHAL, and KNAKHAL. One notable bearer of the name was a German-Polish artist named Ignacy KNAKAL, who lived from 1782 to 1855 and was known for his landscape paintings.
Another prominent figure with the KNAKAL surname was Maria KNAKAL, a Polish writer and poet who lived from 1892 to 1954. Her works often explored themes of patriotism and national identity, reflecting the political and social climate of her time.
In the 20th century, a Polish-American businessman named Zygmunt KNAKAL made a significant impact in the field of manufacturing. Born in 1910, he founded the KNAKAL Corporation, which specialized in the production of industrial equipment and machinery.
While the KNAKAL surname may not be among the most common in Poland or other parts of the world, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from art and literature to business and industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knakal
Among Census respondents with the surname Knakal, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Knakal bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Knakal surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knakal
Knakal appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+3 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,716 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 6,716 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,405 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Knakal surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #156,044 | #151,639 | 2.8% |
| Count | 104 | 107 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knakal bearers went from 104 to 107 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #151,639.
FAQ
Knakal surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knakal?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Knakal. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Knakal?
Knakal ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Knakal. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Knakal.
Has Knakal become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knakal went from 104 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Knakal?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knakal, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Knakal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knakal appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (4.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Knakal (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Knakal mean?
A surname of Slavic origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "small" or "little." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Knakal (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Knakal?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.