2000
#58,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Knowlin
An English surname derived from a place name referring to "Knowle" or "Knowlton".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 428 Americans carry the last name Knowlin. That puts it at #58,695 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 800,828 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knowlin 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.
Bearers in the US
428
1 in 800,828
Census rank
#58,695
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
373
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 373 bearers of the surname Knowlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 58695th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knowlin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knowlin
The surname KNOWLIN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, specifically in the county of Gloucestershire. It is derived from the Old English words "cnoll," meaning a hillock or rounded hill, and "dun," meaning a hill or down.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name KNOWLIN can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a manor called "Knowlindun," located in Gloucestershire, which was likely the ancestral home of the KNOWLIN family.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John de Knowlindun was recorded as a landowner and member of the gentry in the county of Gloucestershire. His name suggests a connection to the same area mentioned in the Domesday Book.
During the 16th century, the name KNOWLIN appeared in various parish records and legal documents, often with variations in spelling, such as Knowlden, Knowleden, and Knowlling. One example is Richard Knowllyn, a merchant from Bristol who was mentioned in the city's records in 1547.
In the 17th century, a famous bearer of the KNOWLIN surname was Sir Thomas Knowlin (1607-1675), who served as a member of Parliament and was a prominent landowner in Gloucestershire. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Knowlin (1646-1721), who was a renowned botanist and herbalist from the village of Knowldon, which was likely named after the KNOWLIN family. Her extensive collection of plant specimens and writings contributed to the advancement of botanical knowledge during her lifetime.
Throughout the centuries, the KNOWLIN surname has maintained a strong connection to the Gloucestershire region, with many families continuing to reside in the area. While variations in spelling have occurred, the core elements of the name have remained largely unchanged, reflecting its deep roots in the local geography and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knowlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Knowlin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Knowlin 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 Knowlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American87.1% · 325
- White4.6% · 17
- Two or more races4.6% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knowlin
Knowlin 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
#55,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+47 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 3,136 places
2020
#58,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,574 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #58,257 | 326 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #55,121 | 373 | 0.13 | +47 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 3,136 places |
| 2020 | #58,695 | 373 | 0.12 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 3,574 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 Knowlin 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 | #55,121 | #58,695 | -6.5% |
| Count | 373 | 373 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.12 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knowlin bearers went from 373 to 373 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 3,574 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,121 to #58,695.
FAQ
Knowlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knowlin?
Name Census estimates that about 428 living Americans carry the surname Knowlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 800,828 residents.
How common is Knowlin?
Knowlin ranks #58,695 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 373 people with the surname Knowlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (428), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Knowlin.
Has Knowlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knowlin went from 373 recorded bearers to 373. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #55,121 to #58,695.
What does the Census say about the background of Knowlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knowlin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 87.1%. The next largest groups are White (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Knowlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (325 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knowlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (87.1%), White (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Knowlin (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 Knowlin mean?
An English surname derived from a place name referring to "Knowle" or "Knowlton". 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 Knowlin (0.12 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 many people have the surname Knowlin?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.