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

Knight, 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 Knight surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knight in America

Knight is the 209th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knight surname appeared 136,713 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 46 people would have the surname Knight.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knight 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 Knight

The surname KNIGHT originates from England and dates back to the medieval period, around the 11th century. It derives from the Old English word "cniht," which referred to a young man, a servant, or a military attendant. Over time, the term evolved to describe a soldier or a knight in the feudal system.

The name is closely associated with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, as many knights and soldiers were granted lands and titles by William the Conqueror. Some early records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders and estates commissioned by William I in 1086.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KNIGHT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, which mention a Robert le Knyght. The use of the prefix "le" or "the" was common in medieval times to denote a person's occupation or status.

In the 13th century, the surname KNIGHT appears in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, which lists a John le Knyght. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, mentioning a William le Knyght.

One notable figure bearing the surname KNIGHT was Sir John Knight (c. 1483 - 1545), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the Recorder of Bristol and was appointed as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

Another prominent individual was John Knight (c. 1499 - 1564), an English churchman and academic who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1541 to 1547. He played a significant role in the English Reformation under King Edward VI.

In the 17th century, Samuel Knight (1675 - 1746) was a renowned English mathematician and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the study of algebra and calculus and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1719.

During the 18th century, Gowin Knight (1713 - 1772) was a notable English antiquarian and numismatist (coin collector). He authored several works on ancient coins and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1745.

In the 19th century, Charles Knight (1791 - 1873) was a prominent English publisher and author. He founded the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and published numerous educational works, including the Penny Cyclopaedia and the Penny Magazine.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname KNIGHT throughout history, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in various fields and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knight

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

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

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

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