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

Knodel, 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 Knodel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knodel in America

Knodel is the 29768th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knodel surname appeared 790 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 Knodel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knodel 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 Knodel

The surname Knodel is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and the surrounding areas. The name is derived from the German word "Knödel," which translates to "dumpling" or "small round bread."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knodel can be found in the Nuremberg Chronicle, a famous illustrated world history book published in 1493. The chronicle mentions a certain Hans Knodel, a baker from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, who was renowned for his exceptional dumplings and bread.

In the 16th century, the name Knodel began appearing in various town records and church registers across southern Germany. One notable figure from this era was Johann Knodel (1520-1585), a prominent Lutheran theologian and author from the city of Augsburg.

As the name spread across Germany, various regional variations emerged, such as Knödel, Knödelein, and Knödlein. These spellings often reflected local dialects and pronunciations. In some instances, the name was also associated with certain place names, like Knödelhof or Knödelberg, which likely referred to areas where the Knodel family had lived or owned land.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Knodel name gained further recognition with several notable individuals. For example, there was Andreas Knodel (1642-1726), a respected jurist and legal scholar from Nuremberg, and Maria Knodel (1701-1770), a celebrated soprano and opera singer from Dresden.

In the 19th century, the name continued to spread beyond Germany as emigration increased. One prominent figure from this era was Karl Knodel (1818-1892), a German-American artist and illustrator who settled in New York City and became known for his intricate woodcarvings and engravings.

Throughout history, the Knodel surname has been carried by various individuals from different walks of life, including artists, musicians, scholars, and professionals. While the name may have originated from a humble association with baking and dumplings, it has evolved to represent a rich cultural heritage deeply rooted in German history and tradition.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knodel

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!