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

McKnight, 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 McKnight surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McKnight in America

McKnight is the 1023rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McKnight surname appeared 34,055 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname McKnight.

We can also compare 2010 data for McKnight 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 McKnight

The surname McKnight is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "naght" or "nacht," meaning "night." The name likely originated in the Scottish Highlands during the medieval period, indicating a person whose occupation involved working at night, such as a night watchman or a shepherd who tended to flocks at night.

The earliest recorded examples of the McKnight surname date back to the 16th century in Scottish records. One notable bearer of the name was John McKnight, who was born in Galloway, Scotland, in the late 16th century and served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.

In the 17th century, the McKnight surname appeared in various Scottish documents, including parish registers and legal records. One instance was the mention of Robert McKnight in the Regality of Dunfermline Court Book in 1642.

The McKnight surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir James McKnight (1675-1755), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1734 to 1737.

Another prominent figure was James McKnight (1738-1792), a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister who served as the first president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, David McKnight (1820-1892) was a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Glasgow.

Another noteworthy bearer of the McKnight surname was Charles McKnight (1851-1923), an American politician who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon from 1911 to 1915.

The McKnight surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as McKnightston in Ayrshire and McKnightburn in Lanarkshire, further solidifying its Scottish roots.

Overall, the surname McKnight has a rich history rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with connections to occupations, notable individuals, and place names that span several centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McKnight

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

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

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

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