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

Knutson, 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 Knutson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knutson in America

Knutson is the 2145th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knutson surname appeared 16,910 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Knutson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knutson 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 Knutson

The surname Knutson is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway and Sweden. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the given name of the father or an ancestor. Knutson is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, sometime around the 13th or 14th century.

In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as Knutsson or Knutsen, reflecting the Old Norse and Swedish spelling conventions. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name Knutr, which means "knot" or "knot of wood." This name was commonly used in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.

The Knutson surname is believed to have first emerged in coastal regions of Norway and Sweden, where many families were involved in maritime activities and fishing. The name may have referred to someone who was skilled in knot-tying or worked with ropes and rigging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knutson can be found in the Swedish census records from the late 16th century. In these records, several individuals with the surname Knutson are mentioned, indicating that the name had already been established by that time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Knutson surname. One of the earliest was Knut Knutson (1390-1449), a Swedish nobleman and Lord of Valö. Another prominent figure was Knut Knutsson (1508-1568), a Swedish nobleman and military commander who served as a regent during the minority of King Eric XIV.

Other notable individuals with the Knutson surname include Hans Knutson (1767-1846), a Norwegian merchant and ship owner; Nils Knutson (1880-1955), a Norwegian-American farmer and politician; and Lily Knutson (1886-1979), a Swedish-American artist and illustrator.

The Knutson surname has since spread beyond Scandinavia, with many individuals of Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish descent carrying the name in various parts of the world, particularly in North America and other regions with significant Scandinavian immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knutson

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

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

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

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