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

Knipe, 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 Knipe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knipe in America

Knipe is the 16707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knipe surname appeared 1,713 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Knipe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knipe 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 Knipe

The surname Knipe originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnaepp," which means a hilltop or summit. The name was likely given to someone who lived on or near a prominent hill.

The earliest known record of the name Knipe appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cnape" in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in northern England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Knype" and "Knyppe" in various parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. These early spellings reflect the regional dialects and pronunciations of the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Knipe was John Knype, who was born around 1450 in Lancashire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1472.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Knipe, born in 1550 in Yorkshire. He was a successful merchant and served as Lord Mayor of York in 1601.

In the 17th century, the name Knipe began to spread beyond its traditional northern English stronghold. William Knipe, born in 1620 in Derbyshire, was a noted scholar and author who published works on theology and philosophy.

The 18th century saw the rise of the Knipe family in the county of Cumberland (now part of Cumbria). John Knipe, born in 1725, was a wealthy landowner and served as High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1768.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Knipe was the British naval officer Sir Benjamin Knipe, born in 1780 in Norfolk. He had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his service during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the surname Knipe has also been associated with various place names, such as Knipe Scar in Yorkshire and Knipe Fell in Cumbria, further reinforcing its connection to the landscape and topography of northern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knipe

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

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

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

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