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

Knoles, 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 Knoles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knoles in America

Knoles is the 32792nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knoles surname appeared 700 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 Knoles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knoles 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 Knoles

The surname Knoles has its roots in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cnolle," meaning a hilltop or a rounded hill. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near or on a hilltop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Knolle." This document, a census-like record of landowners and their holdings, mentions a person named Robert Knolle.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, such as "Knoll," "Knolle," and "Knolles," in several historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379.

During the 15th century, the spelling "Knoles" became more prevalent. One notable individual from this period was John Knoles, who was born around 1450 in Gloucestershire and served as a member of the local gentry.

The name can also be traced to place names, such as Knole Park in Kent, which was once owned by the Knole family. This suggests that some individuals with the surname may have derived their name from the place they lived or owned land.

In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Knoles (1515-1587) was a notable figure. He was a Member of Parliament for East Grinstead and played a role in the English Reformation under King Henry VIII.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Robert Knoles (1564-1625), who served as a judge and a Member of Parliament for Taunton during the reign of King James I.

In the 17th century, the name continued to be found in various records, such as the Protestation Returns of 1641-1642, which listed several individuals with the surname Knoles across different counties in England.

As the centuries progressed, the spelling variations became more standardized, with "Knoles" emerging as the predominant form. However, it is important to note that spelling variations were common in historical records due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knoles

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

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

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

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