The Knight surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 136,713 people carried this name — #209 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 2,160 people counted. That is up 4% from 131,860 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Knight surname
An English surname originating as an occupation for someone who was a mounted soldier.
From Middle English knyghte, from Old English cniht (“youth; servant”).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Knight» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 13 births for the Knight name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 99 people named Knight.
Most of them — 71 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 11 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
90 people named Knight live in Switzerland.
They live in 7 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 55 people named Knight live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
45 people named Knight have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 114 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 8 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
172 people named Knight are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Knight in American newspapers,
1885–1926.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,374,705 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Knight,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Ralph Knight 1610–1691 · politician -
Gowin Knight 1713–1772 · physicist -
Richard Payne Knight 1750–1824 · writer -
Thomas Andrew Knight 1759–1838 · gardener -
Edward Knight 1774–1826 · stage actor
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 181 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Knight.
- Knauss 2,212 · U.S. census
- Knecht 5,452 · U.S. census
- Kneib 249 · U.S. census
- Kneip 686 · U.S. census
- Knepper 3,930 · U.S. census
- Knezevic 561 · U.S. census
- Knipper 551 · U.S. census
- Knittel 1,254 · U.S. census
- Knoblauch 1,670 · U.S. census
- Knobloch 2,282 · U.S. census
- Knoch 916 · U.S. census
- Knochel 350 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Knight is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.