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

Knebel, 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 Knebel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knebel in America

Knebel is the 18246th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knebel surname appeared 1,523 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 Knebel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knebel 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 Knebel

The surname Knebel originated in Germany, likely in the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "knevel," which means "bridle" or "bit for a horse." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked with horses, such as a groom or stable hand.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knebel can be found in the town records of Braunschweig, Germany, from the 14th century. In these records, a person named Hinrik Knevel is mentioned, which is an early spelling variation of the surname.

During the Renaissance period, the name Knebel was particularly prevalent in the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. In the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans Knebel (1497-1571) lived in Nuremberg and worked as a goldsmith and engraver.

In the 17th century, the Knebel family had established itself as a respected noble lineage in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar. One prominent member of this family was Johann Friedrich Knebel (1638-1699), who served as a court councilor and diplomat for the Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

The 18th century saw the birth of Karl Ludwig von Knebel (1744-1834), a German writer and literary critic who was a close friend of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Knebel played a significant role in the Weimar Classicism movement and was highly regarded for his translations of ancient Greek works.

In the 19th century, the Knebel surname was found among German immigrants who settled in various parts of the United States. One notable American with this surname was Edward Knebel (1855-1923), a businessman and philanthropist from New York who contributed to the establishment of the Knebel Botanical Garden in Bronx Park.

Another significant figure with the surname Knebel was the Austrian writer and journalist Karl Knebel (1898-1985), who was known for his work as a war correspondent during World War II and his novels depicting life in the Austrian countryside.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knebel

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

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

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

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