The Knott surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 14,622 people carried this name — #2,466 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 20,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 14,008 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Knott surname

A surname transferred from the given name.

From Middle English Knut, a male given name from Old Norse Knútr.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Knott» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘at the knot’ — the first of the origins he gives.

An early record he cites: Richard Knotte, London, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 461 · public domain.

In Poland’s population register

63 people named Knott have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 97 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Subcarpathian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Subcarpathian 34
Lower Silesian 14
Lubusz 5
Lesser Poland 5
Lublin 3
Greater Poland 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 54 people named Knott live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Luxembourg Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Luxembourg Province 29
Liège 20
Hainaut 5

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

49 people named Knott live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 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

Zurich 13
Vaud 9
Thurgau 7
Bern 6
Geneva 5
Aargau 3
Fribourg 3
Ticino 3

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.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Knott was found among the farmers of Derbyshire: 7 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Derbyshire 7

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

88 families named Knott, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 447 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maryland 32
Connecticut 15
North Carolina 12
Pennsylvania 8
Virginia 7
New York 5
South Carolina 4
New Hampshire 2
Massachusetts 2
Vermont 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 248 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Knott in American newspapers,
1876–1920.

Newspaper page from Helena Weekly Herald carrying the name Knott
Helena Weekly Herald 1876-06-15
Newspaper page from Hattiesburg Daily Progress carrying the name Knott
Hattiesburg Daily Progress 1903-11-20
Newspaper page from Great Falls Daily Tribune carrying the name Knott
Great Falls Daily Tribune 1920-09-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 153,576 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Knott in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

17,881 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Knott. The most, 3,322, date from the 1930s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 5.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 5,233
New South Wales 4,884
Queensland 3,594
Western Australia 2,024
Tasmania 951
South Australia 869
Northern Territory 151
ACT (Canberra) 128

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Knott.

Who carried it

People named Knott,
with a public archive behind them.

  • A. Leo Knott
    A. Leo Knott 1829–1918 · lawyer
  • J. Proctor Knott
    J. Proctor Knott 1830–1911 · lawyer
  • Allen Knott d. 1980 · university teacher
  • Anna Maria Wilhelmina Annesley d. 1907
  • Dora Knott d. 1956
  • Mary Knott d. 1600

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Knott,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,455 records

1,455 records of the Knott name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 505
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 285
  • Other U.S. records 665
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Dennis Lee Knott

    Born 1949; from Long Beach, California. U.S. Army, materiel storage and handling specialist; died in service 1968 in Phong Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William G. Knott

    Born 1919 in Missouri. Enlisted 1941 at Jefferson Barracks; office clerk. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Catharine Knott

    Arrived at New York in 1861 aboard the Ottilie from Bremen, aged 40; farmer. From Saxony, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,455 records for Knott in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia658 records

658 records of the Knott name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 266
  • Tasmanian Names Index 155
  • Other Australian records 237
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John William Knott

    Born 1871 in Kingston, Tasmania. Married 1898 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Ann Knott

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Harmony, arriving 1827; ticket of leave 1832. Native of Essex.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary A. Knott

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Minerva, aged 25; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 658 records for Knott in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Germany296 records

296 records of the Knott name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 278
  • German applications to settle and marry 14
  • Other German records 4
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Knott

    Born 1881; from Helmerhaufen, Gummersbach. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 3 January 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Sebastian Knott

    Left Windberg for North America in 1852.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Landshut (CC0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Konrad Knott

    Estate settled at Frankenberg in 1894.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Staatsarchiv Bamberg (CC0)

Showing 3 of 296 records for Knott in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada76 records

76 records of the Knott name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 19
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 14
  • Other Canadian records 43
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Knott

    Came to Ontario in 1879 aboard the Hibernian, landing at Halifax, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edith Emma Knott

    Buried in 1975 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 74.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lidia Knott

    Died 1995; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 76 records for Knott in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom51 records

51 records of the Knott name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 44
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mat'w W. Knott

    Buried in 1833 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 55.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Elizabeth Maria Knott

    Will proved in 1902; of Stalybridge, Lancaster.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Knott

    East Surrey Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 51 records for Knott in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands43 records

43 records of the Knott name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 22
  • Dutch population registers 20
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Helena Marija Knott

    Born 1869 in Rotterdam. Married in 1891 in Rotterdam. Died 1955 in Rotterdam, aged 85.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Maria Helena Knott

    Born 1909 in Rotterdam. Married in 1934 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hermann Knott

    Born 1864 in Rotterdam. Married in 1908 in Rotterdam. Died 1945 in Rotterdam, aged 80.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Knott in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

New Zealand14 records

14 records of the Knott name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 13
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Knott

    Died 1913, aged 72; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Harriet Rachel Knott

    Died 1937; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Selina Knott

    Died 1942, aged 62; buried at Lyttelton Catholic Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Knott in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France5 records

5 records of the Knott name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bernard Haydn Knott

    Born 1915 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Calais (Pas-de-Calais).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Bluette Elisabeth Mauricette Knott

    Born 1909 in Conty (Somme); died 1983 in Bourges (Cher).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Knott in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Knott.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Knott 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.

See the Knott volume
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