The Knowlton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,157 people carried this name — #4,354 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,100 people counted. That is up 3% from 7,931 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Knowlton surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Knowlton» (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: ‘of Knowlton’.

An early record he cites: Richard de Knolton, Somerset, 1327–28 (1 Edward III) — Kirby's Quest (Somerset).

His entry covers Knowlton and Knowlden.

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

In the first U.S. census, 1790

92 families named Knowlton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 557 people lived in those households, 6.1 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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

Massachusetts 45
New Hampshire 15
Maine 10
Connecticut 8
Vermont 7
New York 6
Rhode Island 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. 249 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Knowlton in American newspapers,
1881–1882.

Newspaper page from Press And Daily Dakotaian carrying the name Knowlton
Press And Daily Dakotaian 1882-06-08
Newspaper page from Press And Daily Dakotaian carrying the name Knowlton
Press And Daily Dakotaian 1881-12-20
Newspaper page from Press And Daily Dakotaian carrying the name Knowlton
Press And Daily Dakotaian 1881-12-12

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 113,032 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Knowlton in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1950s.

971 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Knowlton. The most, 321, date from the 1940s. 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 South Australia, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 361
South Australia 266
Queensland 197
New South Wales 113
Western Australia 16
Tasmania 11

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

Who carried it

People named Knowlton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Luke Knowlton
    Luke Knowlton 1738–1810 · judge
  • James Albert Knowlton d. 1937 · writer
  • Susanna Knowlton 1683–1762
  • Thomas Knowlton 1691–1781 · gardener
  • William Knowlton 1706–1753 · farmer
  • Daniel Knowlton 1738–1825 · soldier

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 Knowlton,
in the records of 4 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 States801 records

801 records of the Knowlton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 308
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 175
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 121
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 115
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 64
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 8
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 5
  • Sacramento County historic burials 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Don Glenn Knowlton

    Born 1940; from Minneapolis, Minnesota. U.S. Army, helicopter pilot; killed in action 1965 in South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    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 Lawrence M. Knowlton

    Born 1919 in Illinois. Enlisted 1942 at Chicago; window dresser from Cook County. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1979, buried at Wood National Cemetery, Wisconsin.

    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 Frieman Knowlton

    Arrived at New York in 1876 aboard the Abyssinia from Liverpool, aged 22; founder. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 801 records for Knowlton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). 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).

Canada293 records

293 records of the Knowlton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 281
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • City of Waterloo (Ontario) cemetery records 3
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Everett Knowlton

    Killed in 1954 at the Springhill No. 4 mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frederick Demille Knowlton

    Buried in 1987 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 90.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Bert Clarence Knowlton

    Died in service in 1920.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 293 records for Knowlton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia20 records

20 records of the Knowlton name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 10
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 5
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 4
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1
  1. 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 James Knowlton

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Lady Feversham, arriving 1830; certificate of freedom 1834.

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

    Arrived in Queensland in 1887 aboard the Oriana, aged 19.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Knowlton

    Storekeeper of Geelong, Victoria; died 1876.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 20 records for Knowlton in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Knowlton name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record L. Knowlton

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. J. Knowlton

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record B. Knowlton

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Knowlton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Knowlton 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.

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