2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Silknitter
An occupational surname referring to a person who wove and knitted silk fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Silknitter. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Silknitter 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Silknitter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Silknitter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Silknitter
The surname Silknitter is believed to have originated in England during the 14th century. It is an occupational name, derived from the Old English words "silk" and "nitter," which means "knitter" or "weaver." The name was likely given to individuals who were involved in the production or trade of silk fabric.
The earliest known record of the surname Silknitter can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1327, where a man named John Silknitter is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use during that time period.
In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1467, which mention a Thomas Silknitter. This indicates that the name had spread to different regions of England by that time.
One notable individual with the surname Silknitter was William Silknitter, who was born in Coventry, England, around 1550. He was a skilled silk weaver and is believed to have been involved in the city's thriving silk industry during the 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Silknitter, born in London in 1612. She was a successful silk merchant and is mentioned in several records from the London Merchant Adventurers' Guild. Her business dealings helped contribute to the growth of the silk trade in England during the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name Silknitter can be found in various parish records across England. One example is John Silknitter, born in Warwickshire in 1723, who was a renowned silk weaver and contributed to the development of new weaving techniques during that era.
The surname Silknitter also has variants and alternative spellings, such as Silkniter, Silkeniter, and Silkneater, which can be found in historical records from different regions of England.
Other notable individuals with the surname Silknitter include Mary Silknitter (born 1798 in Gloucestershire), a respected silk embroiderer known for her intricate designs, and Thomas Silknitter (born 1844 in Worcestershire), a prominent silk manufacturer who played a significant role in the expansion of the industry during the Victorian era.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Silknitter
Among Census respondents with the surname Silknitter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Silknitter 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 Silknitter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Silknitter
Silknitter 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-13 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,930 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-5 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 22,930 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.8%) | Up 39 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 Silknitter 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 | #156,044 | #156,005 | 0.0% |
| Count | 104 | 99 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Silknitter bearers went from 104 to 99 (-4.8% change). The surname moved up 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,005.
FAQ
Silknitter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Silknitter?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Silknitter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Silknitter?
Silknitter ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Silknitter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Silknitter.
Has Silknitter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Silknitter went from 104 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Silknitter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Silknitter, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Black (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 Silknitter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Silknitter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (5.1%), Black (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 Silknitter (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 Silknitter mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who wove and knitted silk fabric. 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 Silknitter (0.03 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 Silknitter?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Silknitter, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.