2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Knewtson
From the Old English name "Cnūtson" meaning "son of Cnūt".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Knewtson. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knewtson 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Knewtson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knewtson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knewtson
The surname Knewtson is of English origin, originating in the northern counties of England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cnyht" meaning "knight" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "town." This suggests that the name may have referred to a knight's manor or a settlement where knights resided.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 13th century, where it appears as "Knythtestone." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, as it gradually transformed into the modern form of Knewtson.
In the Domesday Book, a significant historical record compiled in 1086, there are several entries that may be related to the Knewtson name. For example, the village of "Cnutestone" in Hertfordshire is mentioned, which could be a precursor to the surname.
During the 14th century, a prominent figure named John Knewtson was recorded as a landowner in the county of Lancashire. His descendants likely played a role in the further dissemination of the surname in the region.
Another notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Knewtson, a military commander who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was awarded lands in Yorkshire for his service to the House of York.
In the 16th century, a wealthy merchant named Robert Knewtson made his mark in the city of London. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and left a significant legacy through his philanthropic endeavors.
The surname Knewtson has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Knewton in Cheshire and Kneeton in Nottinghamshire. These locations may have influenced the spelling variations of the name over time.
Other notable individuals bearing the Knewtson surname include William Knewtson (1598-1673), a prominent clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester, and Elizabeth Knewtson (1682-1744), a renowned poet and writer from Northumberland.
While the Knewtson surname is not among the most common in England today, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the medieval period and the origins of knighthood and settlements in the northern counties.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knewtson
Among Census respondents with the surname Knewtson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Knewtson 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 Knewtson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 98
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knewtson
Knewtson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Knewtson 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knewtson bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Knewtson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knewtson?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Knewtson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Knewtson?
Knewtson ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Knewtson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Knewtson.
Has Knewtson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knewtson went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Knewtson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knewtson, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Knewtson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knewtson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Black (1.9%). 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 Knewtson (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 Knewtson mean?
From the Old English name "Cnūtson" meaning "son of Cnūt". 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 Knewtson (0.04 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 common is the surname Knewtson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Knewtson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.