2000
#4,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,044
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.61
Rare Last name
Knotts
Derived from a place name meaning "hilltop" or referring to someone who lived near a hilltop.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,100 Americans carry the last name Knotts. That puts it at #4,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,315 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knotts 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Knotts with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.1K
1 in 42,315
Census rank
#4,847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,064 bearers of the surname Knotts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knotts
The surname Knotts is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cnotta," which means "a small lump or knot." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a distinctive physical characteristic, such as a knot-like protrusion or a stocky build.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knotts can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including "Cnotte" and "Knotte," reflecting the linguistic variations of the time.
The name Knotts was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it is believed to have originated. In the 13th century, records show a Robert de Knottis residing in Yorkshire, indicating the presence of the name in that region.
Over the centuries, the Knotts surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Sir John Knotts, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Knotts, a Puritan minister born in 1603, who played a significant role in the religious and political turmoil of the English Civil War era.
In the 18th century, the name Knotts gained further recognition through the works of playwright and actor Joseph Knotts (1725-1802), whose comedic plays were widely performed in London theaters. Another individual of note was Sir John Knotts (1765-1837), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in the Napoleonic Wars.
One of the most famous bearers of the Knotts surname was the American actor and comedian Don Knotts (1924-2006), best known for his roles in the television series "The Andy Griffith Show" and several popular films. His comedic talents and memorable performances have cemented his place in the annals of American entertainment history.
While the Knotts surname has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely began as a descriptive nickname reflecting a physical characteristic. Through the centuries, the name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergymen, military officers, and entertainers, contributing to the rich tapestry of history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knotts
Among Census respondents with the surname Knotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Knotts 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 Knotts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.8% · 5,848
- Black or African American9.4% · 663
- Two or more races4.1% · 292
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 196
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knotts
Knotts 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
#4,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,232
+188 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#4,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,064
-168 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Up 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,606 | 7,044 | 2.61 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,872 | 7,232 | 2.45 | +188 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #4,847 | 7,064 | 2.36 | -168 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 25 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 Knotts 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 | #4,872 | #4,847 | 0.5% |
| Count | 7,232 | 7,064 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.45 | 2.36 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knotts bearers went from 7,232 to 7,064 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,872 to #4,847.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Knotts
FAQ
Knotts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knotts?
Name Census estimates that about 8,100 living Americans carry the surname Knotts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,315 residents.
How common is Knotts?
Knotts ranks #4,847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,064 people with the surname Knotts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,100), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Knotts.
Has Knotts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knotts went from 7,232 recorded bearers to 7,064. That is a decrease of 168 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #4,872 to #4,847.
What does the Census say about the background of Knotts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knotts, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.8%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Knotts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.8% (5,848 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knotts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.8%), Black (9.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Knotts (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 Knotts mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hilltop" or referring to someone who lived near a hilltop. 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 Knotts (2.36 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 common is the surname Knotts?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Knotts on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.