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

Knell, 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 Knell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knell in America

Knell is the 21568th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knell surname appeared 1,210 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 Knell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knell 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 Knell

The surname Knell is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the late medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "cnyll," meaning a knell or a bell sound, often associated with the ringing of church bells.

This surname likely originated among families who lived near churches or monasteries, or perhaps even among bell-ringers themselves. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, such as parish records and tax rolls.

One notable mention of the name Knell can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a certain John Knell among the taxpayers. Similarly, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 record a Simon Knell, indicating the presence of the name in different regions of England during that time.

The Knell surname has also been associated with various place names, particularly those containing the word "knoll," which could be a variation of the original Old English root. Examples include Knoll Hill in Warwickshire and Knoll Farm in Gloucestershire, both of which may have contributed to the development of the surname in their respective areas.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Knell surname. One such figure was Richard Knell, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol during the late 16th century (c. 1540-1610). Another was John Knell, an English clergyman and author who lived from 1658 to 1696 and published several religious works.

In the realm of literature, the name Knell is remembered through the works of the 18th-century English poet and satirist Samuel Knell (1698-1768), whose biting verse often targeted the social and political issues of his time. Another literary figure was William Knell (1801-1875), a British author and editor known for his works on English literature and history.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contribution of Sir John Knell (1856-1938), a distinguished British civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several major railways and infrastructure projects during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knell

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

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

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

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