2000
#9,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Knisley
Derived from a place name meaning "knight's meadow" in Old English, likely referring to a meadow owned by a knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,501 Americans carry the last name Knisley. That puts it at #10,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knisley 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
3.5K
1 in 97,902
Census rank
#10,063
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,053 bearers of the surname Knisley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knisley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knisley
The surname Knisley is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was initially spelled as "Knislich" or "Knieslich." The name is derived from the Old High German word "knies," which means "knee," suggesting a possible connection to a physical characteristic or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Knisley name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the 12th century. In this text, a certain "Henricus Knieslich" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Altenburg, near Leipzig, in 1187.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Knislei," "Kniesle," and "Knisley," in records from the cities of Nuremberg and Regensburg. It is believed that the spelling "Knisley" became more common as the name spread across different regions of Germany.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the Knisley name was Johannes Knisley (c. 1320-1387), a renowned theologian and professor at the University of Prague. His works on scholastic philosophy and theology were influential during his time.
Another historical figure of note was Konrad Knisley (1495-1567), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His woodcuts and engravings depicting religious scenes and portraits were highly regarded during the Renaissance period.
The Knisley surname also found its way into England, likely through German immigrants or merchants. One of the earliest recorded instances in England is that of Hans Knisley (c. 1550-1620), a German-born goldsmith who settled in London and became a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths.
In the United States, the Knisley name can be traced back to the 18th century, with several families arriving from Germany and settling in Pennsylvania and Ohio. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Johann Knisley (1735-1812), who immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1755 and served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout the centuries, the Knisley name has been carried by various individuals, including artists, scholars, and professionals. Some notable examples include Wilhelm Knisley (1857-1931), a German-American painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and Robert Knisley (1921-2007), an American cartoonist and illustrator best known for his work in comic books and newspaper strips.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knisley
Among Census respondents with the surname Knisley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Knisley 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 Knisley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,833
- Two or more races3.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 7
- Black or African American0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knisley
Knisley 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
#9,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,273
+160 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 301 places
2020
#10,063
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,053
-220 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,578 | 3,113 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,879 | 3,273 | 1.11 | +160 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 301 places |
| 2020 | #10,063 | 3,053 | 1.02 | -220 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 184 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 Knisley 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 | #9,879 | #10,063 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,273 | 3,053 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.02 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knisley bearers went from 3,273 to 3,053 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 184 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,879 to #10,063.
FAQ
Knisley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knisley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,501 living Americans carry the surname Knisley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,902 residents.
How common is Knisley?
Knisley ranks #10,063 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,053 people with the surname Knisley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,501), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Knisley.
Has Knisley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knisley went from 3,273 recorded bearers to 3,053. That is a decrease of 220 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,879 to #10,063.
What does the Census say about the background of Knisley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knisley, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Knisley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knisley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Knisley (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 Knisley mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "knight's meadow" in Old English, likely referring to a meadow owned by a 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 Knisley (1.02 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 last name Knisley?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Knisley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.