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

Kneeland, 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 Kneeland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kneeland in America

Kneeland is the 13564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kneeland surname appeared 2,236 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 Kneeland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kneeland 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 Kneeland

The surname Kneeland originated in England, specifically in the region of Gloucestershire, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "cnu" meaning "hill" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname likely resided on or near a hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kneeland can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a family residing in the village of Kneland, which is believed to be the ancestral home of the Kneeland surname.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where it was spelled "Knelande" and "Knelond." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named William Kneeland (1320-1389) was recorded as serving as a member of the King's Council under Edward III. His son, John Kneeland (1355-1423), was a prominent landowner and served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War.

The surname Kneeland also has ties to several place names in England, such as Kneeland Green and Kneeland Farm, both located in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the influence and landholdings of the Kneeland family in that region.

Other notable individuals bearing the Kneeland surname include:

1. Thomas Kneeland (1637-1696), an early English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of the town of Malden.
2. Abner Kneeland (1774-1844), an American theologian, educator, and advocate of free thought, who was famously prosecuted for blasphemy in 1838.
3. Samuel Kneeland (1698-1769), a prominent Boston printer and publisher, known for his work on the first notable English-language Bible printed in British North America.
4. Sir John Kneeland (1560-1623), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
5. Ebenezer Kneeland (1801-1870), an American politician and businessman who served as the 24th Mayor of Boston from 1858 to 1860.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kneeland

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

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

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

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