Find out how popular the last name Knipstein is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Knipstein.
A German surname meaning "dweller at the hill" or "mountaineer".
Knipstein, 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 Knipstein surname is from the 2010 census data.
Knipstein is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Knipstein surname appeared 149 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Knipstein.
We can also compare 2010 data for Knipstein 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 116829 | 118236 | -1.20% |
| Count | 149 | 136 | 9.12% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.00% |
The surname Knipstein is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words 'kniep' meaning a hillock or small hill, and 'stein' meaning stone or rock, suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived near a rocky hill or outcrop.
One of the earliest known records of the name Knipstein appears in the 'Osterreichisches Namenbuch' (Austrian Name Book) from the 14th century, referring to a family living in the region of Bavaria. The name is also found in various historical documents from the 15th and 16th centuries in the German states of Saxony and Thuringia.
A notable early bearer of the name was Johannes Knipstein (1497-1556), a German theologian and reformer who was a close associate of Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and served as the rector of the University of Wittenberg.
In the 17th century, the Knipstein family established itself in the town of Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, in the Palatinate region of modern-day Germany. Here, they held positions of prominence and wealth, with several members serving as local officials and landowners.
Another notable figure was Georg Friedrich Knipstein (1723-1789), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. He composed numerous sacred works and is known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque musical style in Germany.
The surname also found its way to the United States in the 19th century, with immigrants from Germany settling in various parts of the country. One such individual was Johann Knipstein (1811-1892), who arrived in Pennsylvania in the 1840s and later served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Other notable bearers of the name include Karl Knipstein (1875-1947), a German military officer who fought in World War I, and Hans Knipstein (1904-1989), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname Knipstein has maintained its German roots, reflecting the cultural and linguistic heritage of its bearers. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark across various fields and continues to be carried by families of German descent around the world.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Knipstein.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Knipstein was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 97.99% | 146 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0 |
| Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Knipstein has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.99% | 98.53% | -0.55% |
| Black | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Knipstein was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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