2000
#16,688
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,579
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Knerr
A surname derived from a German word meaning "a dwarf or small person".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,764 Americans carry the last name Knerr. That puts it at #17,916 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 194,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knerr surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 194,305
Census rank
#17,916
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,538 bearers of the surname Knerr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17916th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knerr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knerr
The surname KNERR has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle High German word "knerren," meaning "to growl" or "to snarl." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname for someone with a gruff or harsh demeanor.
The earliest recorded instances of the name KNERR can be found in various German records and documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable mention is in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Neckarzimmern, located in the modern-day state of Baden-Württemberg, where the name appears in entries from the late 1500s.
In the 17th century, the name KNERR is found in records from the Palatinate region of Germany, particularly in the areas around Heidelberg and Mannheim. This suggests that the name may have been more prevalent in southwestern Germany during this period.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname KNERR was Hans Knerr, born in 1612 in the village of Neckarelz, located in the present-day district of Mosbach, Baden-Württemberg. He was a farmer and is mentioned in various local records of the time.
Another notable figure was Johann Knerr, a Protestant theologian and author who lived from 1641 to 1702. He was born in Schwäbisch Hall, Württemberg, and served as a pastor in several German towns before publishing his most well-known work, "Institutio Theologiae Dogmaticae" (Introduction to Dogmatic Theology), in 1691.
In the 18th century, the name KNERR began to appear in records from other parts of Europe, likely as a result of migration and immigration. One example is Jacob Knerr, born in 1725 in the town of Heidenburg, East Prussia (now Zheleznodorozhny, Russia). He was a merchant and is mentioned in local trade records from the time.
Another individual of note is Maria Knerr, born in 1762 in the town of Altstätten, Switzerland. She was a renowned weaver and is mentioned in local guild records for her exceptional skill in textile production.
In the 19th century, the name KNERR began to appear in records from the United States, likely due to German immigration during this period. One such individual was Johann Knerr, born in 1812 in the village of Siebeldingen, Palatinate, Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1832 and settled in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farmer and is mentioned in local census records.
While the surname KNERR has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant German immigration. However, the name remains rooted in its historical German heritage and the linguistic origins of the Middle High German word "knerren."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knerr
Among Census respondents with the surname Knerr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Knerr bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Knerr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 1,420
- Two or more races4.0% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 10
- Black or African American0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knerr
Knerr appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,578
-1 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 1,064 places
2020
#17,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,538
-40 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,688 | 1,579 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,752 | 1,578 | 0.53 | -1 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 1,064 places |
| 2020 | #17,916 | 1,538 | 0.51 | -40 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 164 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Knerr surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,752 | #17,916 | -0.9% |
| Count | 1,578 | 1,538 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.53 | 0.51 | -2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knerr bearers went from 1,578 to 1,538 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,752 to #17,916.
FAQ
Knerr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knerr?
Name Census estimates that about 1,764 living Americans carry the surname Knerr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 194,305 residents.
How common is Knerr?
Knerr ranks #17,916 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,538 people with the surname Knerr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,764), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Knerr.
Has Knerr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knerr went from 1,578 recorded bearers to 1,538. That is a decrease of 40 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,752 to #17,916.
What does the Census say about the background of Knerr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knerr, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Knerr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (1,420 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knerr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Knerr (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Knerr mean?
A surname derived from a German word meaning "a dwarf or small person". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Knerr (0.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Knerr?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.