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

Knighton, 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 Knighton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knighton in America

Knighton is the 6591st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knighton surname appeared 5,139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Knighton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knighton 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 Knighton

The surname Knighton is an English locational name that originated in the county of Staffordshire. It is derived from the Old English words "cniht" meaning knight and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure, denoting a place where knights lived or assembled.

Knighton was first recorded as a place name in the Domesday Book of 1086, appearing as "Cnihtetone" in the county of Staffordshire. This suggests that the surname Knighton emerged from this area and time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Knighton is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Knighton is listed as residing in Staffordshire. The "de" prefix indicates that he was from the place called Knighton.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Henry Knighton (c. 1320-1396) was a canon and historian at the Abbey of St. Mary's in Leicester. He is best known for his chronicle "Chronicon Henrici Knighton," which provides valuable insights into the events of his time, including the Peasants' Revolt of 1381.

Another notable bearer of the Knighton surname was Sir William Knighton (1776-1836), a British physician and confidant of King George IV. He served as the King's Private Secretary and was instrumental in managing the monarch's personal affairs.

In the literary world, Joseph Knighton (1778-1838) was an English poet and clergyman from Warwickshire. He published several volumes of poetry, including "The Prospect, and Other Poems" in 1799.

The surname Knighton has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Knighton in Radnorshire, Wales, and Knighton in Leicestershire, both of which likely derived their names from the Old English words mentioned earlier.

While the surname Knighton has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by descendants of its early bearers. However, its origins remain firmly grounded in the historic counties of Staffordshire and the surrounding areas of central England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knighton

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

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

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

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