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

Knecht, 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 Knecht surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knecht in America

Knecht is the 6267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knecht surname appeared 5,452 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Knecht.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knecht 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 Knecht

The surname Knecht has its origins in Germany and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old High German word "kneht," which means "servant" or "bondsman." The name was often given to people who worked as servants or retainers in noble households or on large estates.

In its earliest recorded form, the name was spelled "Kneht" or "Knecht." It first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, such as in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony in Germany. Over time, the spelling evolved into the modern form of "Knecht."

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Konrad Knecht, a knight who lived in the late 13th century and was mentioned in the Annals of the Teutonic Order, a chronicle of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia. Another notable early figure was Hans Knecht, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the 15th century and was recorded in the city's commercial archives.

During the Renaissance and Reformation periods, the name Knecht became associated with the peasant class and the rising urban working class. Notable individuals from this era include Sebastian Knecht, a German Protestant reformer and theologian born in 1499, and Matthias Knecht, a 16th-century painter from Nuremberg.

In the 17th century, Johann Knecht was a prominent German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His works were influential in the development of the Baroque style in German music.

As the name spread throughout German-speaking regions, it also appeared in various local spellings and variations, such as Knechte, Knechtl, and Knechtli, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. Some of these variations eventually became separate surnames in their own right.

The name Knecht has been associated with various professions and occupations over the centuries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers. While it initially referred to servants or bondsmen, it later became associated with skilled tradesmen, artisans, and even members of the educated classes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knecht

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

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

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

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