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

Knudtson, 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 Knudtson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knudtson in America

Knudtson is the 17056th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knudtson surname appeared 1,665 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 Knudtson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knudtson 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 Knudtson

The surname KNUDTSON is of Scandinavian origin, specifically deriving from Denmark. It emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name is believed to have originated from the Old Norse personal name "Knútr," which means "knot" or "nugget," combined with the patronymic suffix "-son," signifying "son of."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Danish Census of 1787, where a family by the name of Knudtson is listed as residing in the town of Ribe, located in the southwestern region of Denmark. This suggests that the name may have initially been concentrated in this area before spreading to other parts of the country.

During the Viking era, many Scandinavian settlers migrated to various regions, including parts of modern-day England and Scotland. It is possible that some individuals bearing the name KNUDTSON may have been among these early settlers, although specific records documenting their presence are scarce.

In the 19th century, a notable figure bearing the name KNUDTSON was Hans Peter Knudtson (1822-1898), a Danish-born artist who emigrated to the United States and became known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the American West. His works are showcased in several prominent art museums across the United States.

Another individual of historical significance was Knud Knudtson (1832-1915), a Norwegian-born Lutheran minister who served as a missionary in the United States and played a significant role in establishing several churches and educational institutions in the Midwest.

Closer to modern times, Knud Knudtson (1878-1954), a Danish-American entrepreneur and businessman, founded the Knudtson Creamery Company in Minnesota, which became a successful dairy business in the early 20th century.

In the realm of politics, Carl August Knudtson (1905-1987) was a Norwegian-American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Minnesota Senate from 1947 to 1971, representing the Republican Party.

It is worth noting that alternative spellings of the name, such as Knudson or Knutson, have also been documented throughout history, further emphasizing the name's Scandinavian roots and variations in its usage over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knudtson

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

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

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

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