2000
#199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131,860
First available Census row
Per 100,000 48.88
Common Last name
Knight
An occupational surname referring to a knight, a military servant of a king or other superior.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 152,150 Americans carry the last name Knight. That puts it at #212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 44.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knight 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Knight with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
152K
1 in 2,253
Census rank
#212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
44.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
133K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 132,682 bearers of the surname Knight in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 44.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knight, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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In the 13th century, the surname KNIGHT appears in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, which lists a John le Knyght.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knight
Among Census respondents with the surname Knight, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Knight 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 Knight surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.4% · 92,139
- Black or African American21.0% · 27,924
- Two or more races4.4% · 5,781
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,781
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1,142
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 915
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knight
Knight 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
#209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136,713
+4,853 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 46.35
Rank movement Down 10 places
2020
#212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132,682
-4,031 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 44.39
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #199 | 131,860 | 48.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #209 | 136,713 | 46.35 | +4,853 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 10 places |
| 2020 | #212 | 132,682 | 44.39 | -4,031 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 3 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 Knight 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 | #209 | #212 | -1.4% |
| Count | 136,713 | 132,682 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 46.35 | 44.39 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knight bearers went from 136,713 to 132,682 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #209 to #212.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Knight
FAQ
Knight surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knight?
Name Census estimates that about 152,150 living Americans carry the surname Knight. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,253 residents.
How common is Knight?
Knight ranks #212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 44.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 44 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 132,682 people with the surname Knight. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (152,150), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 44.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 44.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 44 of them to have the surname Knight.
Has Knight become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knight went from 136,713 recorded bearers to 132,682. That is a decrease of 4,031 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #209 to #212.
What does the Census say about the background of Knight?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knight, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Knight in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (92,139 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knight appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.4%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Knight (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 Knight mean?
An occupational surname referring to a knight, a military servant of a king or other superior. 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 Knight (44.39 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 are called Knight?
Find out how common the surname Knight is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.