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

Knauff, 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 Knauff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knauff in America

Knauff is the 22334th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knauff surname appeared 1,154 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 Knauff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knauff 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 Knauff

The surname KNAUFF is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "knauf," which means "knob" or "ball." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive moniker, referring to someone with a distinctive physical characteristic or occupation related to the making or handling of knobs or balls.

In the earliest records, the name appears with various spellings, including Knauf, Knauffe, and Knauff. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions a "Henricus Knauf" in 1285.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, as the use of surnames became more widespread, the name KNAUFF began to appear in various regions of Germany. Notable individuals bearing this name include Johann Knauf (1525-1597), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, and Caspar Knauf (1600-1674), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name KNAUFF was also found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and trade. For instance, a record from the Dutch city of Leiden mentions a "Hans Knauf" in 1583, suggesting the name had spread to the Netherlands.

One of the most prominent figures with the surname KNAUFF was Johann Nepomuk Knauff (1774-1837), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works, which included religious and historical scenes, were widely acclaimed and can be found in various museums across Europe.

Another notable individual was Carl Friedrich Knauff (1804-1884), a German jurist and legal scholar from Saxony. He made significant contributions to the development of German civil law and authored several influential works on legal theory and practice.

In the 19th century, the KNAUFF name also appeared in the United States, likely due to German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Johann Knauff (1812-1888), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a farmer and carpenter.

Throughout its history, the surname KNAUFF has been associated with various occupations, from artisans and craftsmen to scholars and professionals, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knauff

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

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

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

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