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

Knauer, 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 Knauer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knauer in America

Knauer is the 13911th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knauer surname appeared 2,171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Knauer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knauer 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 Knauer

The surname Knauer is of German origin, and it first emerged in the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "knāwer," which means "barker" or "snarler." This suggests that the surname may have initially been an occupational name for people involved in hunting or forestry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knauer can be found in the municipal records of Nuremberg, dated around 1383, where a certain Hans Knauer is mentioned as a resident of the city. Another early reference is from a document in the Saxony region, dated 1422, which mentions a Kunz Knauer as a landowner.

In the 16th century, the surname Knauer appears in various church records and tax rolls across Germany. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes Knauer (1492-1551), a Lutheran theologian and reformer, and Hans Knauer (1514-1586), a German artist and printmaker known for his intricate woodcuts.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Knauer surname spread across other parts of Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland. In 1692, a certain Georg Knauer is recorded as a master carpenter in the city of Vienna. Another notable figure from this era is Johann Knauer (1717-1785), a German architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in Dresden and Leipzig.

In the 19th century, several Knauer families emigrated from Germany to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States is in the 1820 census, which lists a Jacob Knauer living in Pennsylvania. Another notable individual from this period is Friedrich Knauer (1828-1908), a German-American artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his depictions of wildlife and nature scenes.

Other notable individuals with the surname Knauer include:

• Karl Knauer (1841-1920), a German politician and lawyer who served as the Minister of Justice in Bavaria.
• Georg Knauer (1856-1908), a German sculptor known for his works in bronze and marble, with several pieces displayed in public spaces across Germany.
• Frieda Knauer (1885-1977), an Austrian operatic soprano who performed at the Vienna State Opera and other prestigious venues in Europe.
• Viktor Knauer (1909-1991), a German-American chemist and inventor who developed several synthetic rubber compounds during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knauer

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

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

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

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