2000
#12,711
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,231
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.83
Rare Last name
Knauss
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "knuz," meaning a compact or sturdy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,368 Americans carry the last name Knauss. That puts it at #13,983 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 144,744 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knauss 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
2.4K
1 in 144,744
Census rank
#13,983
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,065 bearers of the surname Knauss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13983rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knauss
The surname Knauss originated in Germany, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Knaus," which referred to a knot or a gnarl. This could indicate that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone with a knotted or gnarled appearance or perhaps someone who worked with knots or ropes.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Knauss can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name is also present in various medieval tax rolls and census records from various regions of Germany.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Knauss (1445-1517) was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Nuremberg. His legacy is reflected in the naming of the Knauss House, a historical building in Nuremberg that still stands today.
During the 16th century, the Knauss name gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Johann Knauss (1525-1594) was a respected Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Silesia.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Knauss family migrated to the Netherlands, where they established themselves as skilled craftsmen and artisans. One notable figure from this era was Willem Knauss (1632-1698), a renowned Dutch painter known for his landscapes and seascapes.
As the Knauss family spread across Europe, variations in spelling emerged, such as Knaus, Knause, and Knausse. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and linguistic differences.
In the 18th century, Johann Christoph Knauss (1725-1789) was a celebrated German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of church music in his time.
The 19th century saw the Knauss name gain further recognition, with individuals like Friedrich Knauss (1824-1888), a German historian and author who wrote extensively on the history and culture of his native Bavaria.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and diverse individuals who have carried the surname Knauss throughout the centuries. The name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, and it has since spread across Europe, leaving an indelible mark on various fields, from commerce and religion to art and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knauss
Among Census respondents with the surname Knauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Knauss 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 Knauss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,911
- Two or more races3.3% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 62
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knauss
Knauss 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
#13,690
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,212
-19 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 979 places
2020
#13,983
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,065
-147 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,711 | 2,231 | 0.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,690 | 2,212 | 0.75 | -19 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 979 places |
| 2020 | #13,983 | 2,065 | 0.69 | -147 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 293 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 Knauss 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 | #13,690 | #13,983 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,212 | 2,065 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.69 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knauss bearers went from 2,212 to 2,065 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 293 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,690 to #13,983.
FAQ
Knauss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knauss?
Name Census estimates that about 2,368 living Americans carry the surname Knauss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 144,744 residents.
How common is Knauss?
Knauss ranks #13,983 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,065 people with the surname Knauss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,368), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Knauss.
Has Knauss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knauss went from 2,212 recorded bearers to 2,065. That is a decrease of 147 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,690 to #13,983.
What does the Census say about the background of Knauss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knauss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Knauss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,911 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knauss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Knauss (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 Knauss mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "knuz," meaning a compact or sturdy person. 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 Knauss (0.69 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 common is the surname Knauss?
See how many people have the surname Knauss on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.