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

Kneen, 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 Kneen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kneen in America

Kneen is the 77264th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kneen surname appeared 248 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 Kneen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kneen 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 Kneen

The surname KNEEN is believed to have originated in the Isle of Man, a small island located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The name is thought to have derived from the Manx Gaelic word "keeneenagh," which means "moss-covered" or "mossy."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KNEEN can be found in the Manx Book of Records, also known as the Manx Manorial Rolls, which dates back to the late 16th century. These records document various transactions, agreements, and legal proceedings involving individuals with the surname KNEEN on the Isle of Man.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name KNEEN appeared in several historical documents and records from the Isle of Man, such as parish registers, land deeds, and court records. Some notable individuals with the KNEEN surname from this period include John Kneen (1615-1690), a landowner and farmer, and William Kneen (1730-1805), a prominent merchant and ship owner.

In the 19th century, the name KNEEN gained wider recognition beyond the Isle of Man as many individuals with this surname emigrated to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to North America and Australia. One notable figure from this time was Thomas Kneen (1838-1912), a Manx author and poet who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Isle of Man.

Another notable KNEEN was John Joseph Kneen (1856-1938), a Manx-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives and was instrumental in establishing the Australian Labor Party.

In more recent times, the KNEEN surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including Sir Frederic Kneen (1909-1993), a British diplomat and former ambassador to Yugoslavia, and Brewster Kneen (1939-2021), a Canadian author and activist known for his work on environmental and social issues.

Overall, the surname KNEEN has a rich history deeply rooted in the Isle of Man, with its origins dating back centuries. While the name has since spread across the globe, it remains a proud symbol of the island's cultural heritage and the resilience of its people.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kneen

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

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

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

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