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

Knoll, 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 Knoll surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knoll in America

Knoll is the 3697th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knoll surname appeared 9,608 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Knoll.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knoll 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 Knoll

The surname Knoll originated in Germany and is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "Knoll," which means a small round hill or a knoll. This surname is thought to have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near or on a knoll.

The name Knoll can be traced back to the 11th century in Germany, where it was first recorded in various medieval documents and records. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Corbeiensium, a cartulary from the Corvey Abbey in Westphalia, dating back to the year 1089.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Knoll was Johannes Knoll, a German landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Knollendorf, near Erfurt, in the late 13th century. Another notable early bearer of the name was Heinz Knoll, a merchant and guild member in Nuremberg, who was mentioned in city records from the year 1384.

In the 15th century, the surname Knoll appeared in several other regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Knol" or "Knohl," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Knoll. One of the most prominent was Martin Knoll (1592-1675), a German theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and wrote several influential works on theology and church history.

Another famous bearer of the name was Johann Balthasar Knoll (1625-1699), a German baroque painter and engraver who was known for his religious scenes and portraits. His works can be found in several churches and museums throughout Germany and Austria.

In the 19th century, Johann Nepomuk Knoll (1825-1899) was a German-born priest and missionary who worked in the United States and Canada. He founded several parishes and is remembered for his efforts in promoting education and social welfare among Native American communities.

More recently, Hans Knoll (1914-1955) was a German-American furniture designer and entrepreneur who co-founded the renowned Knoll furniture company with his wife Florence Knoll. Their innovative designs and contributions to modern interior design have had a lasting impact on the industry.

Finally, one cannot overlook the German-American computer scientist and author Donald Knuth (born 1938), who is widely regarded as the "father of the analysis of algorithms." His influential works, such as "The Art of Computer Programming," have had a significant impact on the field of computer science.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knoll

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

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

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

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