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

Knouse, 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 Knouse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knouse in America

Knouse is the 17432nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knouse surname appeared 1,618 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Knouse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knouse 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 Knouse

The surname Knouse has its origins in the German language and is believed to have first emerged in the late 15th or early 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "knouz," which means "knot" or "knotty." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive surname for someone with a knotty or gnarled appearance, or perhaps even as an occupational name for someone who worked with knots or ropes.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Knouse can be found in various German records and documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Knouse, a farmer who lived in the village of Rüdesheim, near the city of Mainz, in the early 1500s.

As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Knaus, Knauss, and Knauß. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

One notable historical reference to the name Knouse can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the Protestant Reformation era. These records document the births, marriages, and deaths of individuals within various German communities, and the name Knouse appears several times in the records of certain regions.

In the 17th century, a man named Johann Knouse (1632-1701) gained some renown as a skilled woodcarver and cabinet maker in the town of Würzburg, Bavaria. His intricate works were sought after by wealthy patrons and can still be found in some museums and private collections today.

Another notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Knouse (1736-1804), a German theologian and philosopher who wrote extensively on the concepts of ethics and morality. His works were widely read and discussed among the intellectual circles of his time.

As the centuries passed, the Knouse name spread beyond Germany, with many individuals bearing the surname immigrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Wilhelm Knouse (1812-1888), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, United States, in the mid-19th century and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Throughout its history, the surname Knouse has been associated with various occupations and professions, from farmers and artisans to scholars and intellectuals. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of the regions where it has been present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knouse

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

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

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

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