2000
#32,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 662
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Knust
A surname of German origin referring to a skilled worker or artisan.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 788 Americans carry the last name Knust. That puts it at #35,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 434,967 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Knust 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
788
1 in 434,967
Census rank
#35,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
687
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 687 bearers of the surname Knust in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Knust, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Knust
The surname KNUST is of Germanic origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval era in regions of present-day Germany and surrounding areas. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "knust," which referred to a knotted or gnarled branch or tree trunk.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 11th century. One entry mentions a landowner named Knust von Mühlhausen, indicating the name's presence in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, there are records of a noble family named Knust in the area of Thuringia, a state in central Germany. They were known for their involvement in local politics and governance, and their name appeared in various municipal records and chronicles of the time.
One notable figure bearing the KNUST surname was Johannes Knust, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived in the early 15th century. He authored several treatises on religious philosophy and was a prominent figure in the intellectual circles of his time.
During the 16th century, the name KNUST appeared in various records across Germany, including mentions of artisans, merchants, and landowners. In the city of Nuremberg, there was a family of skilled woodcarvers and cabinet makers who carried the KNUST surname, contributing to the city's reputation as a center for fine craftsmanship.
Another significant individual was Heinrich Knust, a military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was known for his tactical skills and bravery on the battlefield, and his name is mentioned in several accounts of the war's major battles.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Knust, a botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in central Europe. He documented and cataloged numerous plant species, and his work was widely recognized by scientific circles of the time.
As the KNUST surname spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Knuste, Knusten, and Knüst. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic variations within the German-speaking areas.
While the name KNUST has its origins in Germany, it has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora over the centuries. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, though its historical roots remain firmly rooted in the Germanic regions of central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Knust
Among Census respondents with the surname Knust, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Knust 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 Knust surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 663
- Two or more races1.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Knust
Knust 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
#34,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 667
+5 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 1,370 places
2020
#35,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 687
+20 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 1,236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,703 | 662 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,073 | 667 | 0.23 | +5 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,370 places |
| 2020 | #35,309 | 687 | 0.23 | +20 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 1,236 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 Knust 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 | #34,073 | #35,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 667 | 687 | 3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.23 | -0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Knust bearers went from 667 to 687 (+3.0% change). The surname moved down 1,236 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,073 to #35,309.
FAQ
Knust surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Knust?
Name Census estimates that about 788 living Americans carry the surname Knust. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 434,967 residents.
How common is Knust?
Knust ranks #35,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 687 people with the surname Knust. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Knust.
Has Knust become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Knust went from 667 recorded bearers to 687. That is an increase of 20 (+3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,073 to #35,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Knust?
Among Census respondents with the surname Knust, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.5%) and Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Knust in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (663 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Knust appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Knust (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 Knust mean?
A surname of German origin referring to a skilled worker or artisan. 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 Knust (0.23 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 Knust?
Want to know how many people have the surname Knust? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.