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

Knutzen, 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 Knutzen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knutzen in America

Knutzen is the 61436th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knutzen surname appeared 327 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Knutzen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knutzen 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 Knutzen

The surname Knutzen is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the northern regions such as Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "Knūt," which means "knot" or "bundle." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with knots or bundles, such as a rope-maker or a bundler of goods.

The earliest known record of the name Knutzen dates back to the 13th century. In 1265, a document from the city of Rostock mentions a person named "Cnutze." This spelling variation highlights the linguistic evolution of the name over time.

During the Middle Ages, the Knutzen name appeared in various historical records across northern Germany. One notable example is the mention of a "Hanns Knutzen" in a 1487 document from the city of Lübeck, which was a major trading center in the Hanseatic League.

In the 16th century, the Knutzen family established itself in the town of Rehna, located in the present-day state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. A prominent member of this family was Martin Knutzen (1713-1751), a philosopher and mathematician who taught at the University of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia).

Another notable figure with the Knutzen surname was Johann Knutzen (1687-1756), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Königsberg. He was known for his work on natural theology and his contributions to the philosophical debate on the nature of space and time.

In the 19th century, Heinrich Knutzen (1819-1898) gained recognition as a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several prominent buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank (Imperial Bank) and the Reichspostamt (Imperial Post Office).

Carl Knutzen (1875-1952) was a German politician and trade union leader who played a significant role in the workers' movement during the Weimar Republic. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) and advocated for workers' rights and social reforms.

While the Knutzen surname originated in northern Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration. However, its roots can be traced back to the northern German regions and the Old German word "Knūt," reflecting its potential occupational origins as a name for those who worked with knots or bundles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knutzen

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

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

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

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