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

Knigge, 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 Knigge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knigge in America

Knigge is the 28380th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knigge surname appeared 841 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 Knigge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knigge 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 Knigge

The surname KNIGGE is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of Germany. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "knec," meaning "servant" or "knight." The name likely emerged in the medieval era, around the 12th or 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KNIGGE can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen. The document, dated 1297, mentions a certain "Hinricus Knigge" as a witness to a land transaction.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records across northern Germany, including the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck. It is also mentioned in the Codex Diplomaticus Lubecensis, a compilation of documents from the city of Lübeck, where a "Johannes Knigge" is recorded as a citizen in 1376.

The name KNIGGE is closely associated with the town of Knigge, located in the modern-day state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is possible that the surname originated from this place name, or that the place was named after an early bearer of the surname.

One notable person with the surname KNIGGE was Adolph Freiherr Knigge (1752-1796), a German author and philosopher best known for his work "Über den Umgang mit Menschen" (On Human Relations), a guide to etiquette and social conduct. His work had a significant influence on the development of modern etiquette and manners.

Another prominent figure was Johann Gottfried Knigge (1763-1825), a German writer and educator who authored several works on pedagogy and educational reform.

In the 19th century, Carl Knigge (1832-1892) was a German jurist and politician who served as a member of the Reichstag, the parliament of the German Empire.

Friedrich Knigge (1856-1933) was a German architect notable for his work in the Historicist style, including the design of several public buildings and churches in Berlin and other cities.

Lastly, Gert Knigge (1916-2003) was a German naval officer who served in the Kriegsmarine during World War II and later became a successful businessman and author.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knigge

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

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

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

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