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

Knepp, 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 Knepp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knepp in America

Knepp is the 7559th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knepp surname appeared 4,398 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 Knepp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knepp 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 Knepp

The surname Knepp is of German origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "knepp," which means "servant" or "retainer." The name was likely used to refer to a person who worked as a servant or retainer for a noble or wealthy family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knepp can be found in the Würzburg Archives, which date back to the late 13th century. The name is also mentioned in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, in the 14th century.

The surname Knepp is closely associated with the town of Knepp in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. This town was first mentioned in historical records in 1348, and it is possible that the surname originated from this place name.

In the 16th century, there are records of a Johann Knepp (1521-1585) who was a prominent German theologian and reformer. He was a follower of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another notable person with the surname Knepp was Johann August Knepp (1778-1844), a German composer and music teacher. He was born in Kleinschmalkalden, Germany, and is best known for his compositions for piano and chamber ensembles.

In the 19th century, there was a Friedrich Knepp (1810-1885), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) from 1871 to 1874.

Another prominent figure with the surname Knepp was Hans Knepp (1885-1968), a German artist and sculptor. He is best known for his sculptures and monuments in public spaces, many of which can still be seen in various German cities.

The surname Knepp was also found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Austria. In the Netherlands, there are records of a Willem Knepp (1620-1694), a Dutch painter and engraver who was active in the 17th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knepp

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!