2000
#8,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Knighten
Derived from the Old English word "cniht," meaning a servant, retainer, or follower of a medieval knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,225 Americans carry the last name Knighten. That puts it at #8,574 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 81,125 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knighten 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
4.2K
1 in 81,125
Census rank
#8,574
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,684 bearers of the surname Knighten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8574th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knighten, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Black (44.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knighten
The surname Knighten originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cniht" and "tun," which together mean "knight's estate" or "knight's settlement." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived on land owned by a knight or someone who worked for a knight.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cnihtentun." This entry refers to a settlement in Wiltshire, suggesting that the name may have originated in that region.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records as "Knyghteton" and "Knyghtentun," further indicating its connection to knights and their lands. During this time, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire.
One notable historical figure with the surname Knighten was Sir John Knighten, a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire in the early 15th century. He was born around 1380 and played a role in the political affairs of the time.
Another early recorded instance of the name is found in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of 1436, where a Robert Knighten is mentioned as holding land in the village of Knighten in Somerset.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Knighton" and "Knighten," reflecting the evolution of the English language. During this time, the surname was also found in other parts of England, including Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
One prominent individual with the name was Sir William Knighten, who was born in 1560 and served as a military commander during the English Civil War. He fought on the side of the Parliamentarians and played a significant role in several battles.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Thomas Knighten, born in 1625, was a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. He left behind a substantial estate and was known for his philanthropy.
Throughout its history, the surname Knighten has been associated with noble lineages and landowners, reflecting its origins as a name linked to the estates and settlements of knights. While the spelling may have evolved over time, the name's connection to medieval England and the feudal system remains evident.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knighten
Among Census respondents with the surname Knighten, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Black (44.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Knighten 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 Knighten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.3% · 1,668
- Black or African American44.2% · 1,630
- Two or more races5.9% · 218
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knighten
Knighten 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
#8,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,759
+255 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#8,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,684
-75 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Up 150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,640 | 3,504 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,724 | 3,759 | 1.27 | +255 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #8,574 | 3,684 | 1.23 | -75 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 150 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 Knighten 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 | #8,724 | #8,574 | 1.7% |
| Count | 3,759 | 3,684 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.23 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knighten bearers went from 3,759 to 3,684 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 150 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,724 to #8,574.
FAQ
Knighten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knighten?
Name Census estimates that about 4,225 living Americans carry the surname Knighten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 81,125 residents.
How common is Knighten?
Knighten ranks #8,574 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.23 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 3,684 people with the surname Knighten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.23 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 Knighten.
Has Knighten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knighten went from 3,759 recorded bearers to 3,684. That is a decrease of 75 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,724 to #8,574.
What does the Census say about the background of Knighten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knighten, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.3%. The next largest groups are Black (44.2%) and Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Knighten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.3% (1,668 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knighten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.3%), Black (44.2%), Two or More Races (5.9%). 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 Knighten (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 Knighten mean?
Derived from the Old English word "cniht," meaning a servant, retainer, or follower of a medieval knight. 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 Knighten (1.23 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 have the surname Knighten?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.