UK surname

Knape

A surname originating from the Old English word "cnapa" meaning boy or servant.

In the 1881 census there were 38 people recorded with the Knape surname, ranking it #28,285 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 108, ranked #29,578, down from #28,285 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, West Devon and East Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knape is 121 in 2005. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 184.2%.

1881 census count

Ranked #28,285

Modern count

108

2016, ranked #29,578

Peak year

2005

121 bearers

Map years

1998 to 2016

Key insights

• Knape had 38 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,285 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016, ranked #29,578.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 67 in 1901.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Map

Knape surname distribution map

The map shows where the Knape surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Knape surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Knape over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year	Period	Count	Rank
1851	historical	35	#27,037
1861	historical	27	#30,543
1881	historical	38	#28,285
1891	historical	44	#30,838
1901	historical	67	#26,703
1911	historical	49	#27,894
1997	modern	97	#27,342
1998	modern	101	#27,479
1999	modern	106	#26,885
2000	modern	112	#25,978
2001	modern	108	#26,184
2002	modern	110	#26,412
2003	modern	112	#25,948
2004	modern	120	#25,078
2005	modern	121	#24,947
2006	modern	105	#27,479
2007	modern	104	#28,020
2008	modern	102	#28,664
2009	modern	105	#28,815
2010	modern	116	#27,704
2011	modern	107	#28,979
2012	modern	110	#28,514
2013	modern	111	#28,856
2014	modern	115	#28,439
2015	modern	117	#27,982
2016	modern	108	#29,578

Geography

Where Knapes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, West Devon, East Northamptonshire and Lancaster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank	Parish	Area
1	No data	No data

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	West Berkshire 018	West Berkshire
2	West Devon 004	West Devon
3	East Northamptonshire 006	East Northamptonshire
4	West Devon 005	West Devon
5	Lancaster 004	Lancaster

Forenames

First names often paired with Knape

These lists show first names that appear often with the Knape surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Recent female names

Rebecca Josephine Marjorie Elaine Juliet Katherine Vanessa Emma Anne Heather

Recent male names

John David Andrew Paul Robert Charles Christopher James Jason Karl

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for Knape

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Knape, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Knape surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Knape household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Knape is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Knape is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knape falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Knape is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Knape, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Origin

Meaning and origin of Knape

The surname KNAPE has its origins in England, tracing back to the early medieval period around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnapa," which referred to a servant or attendant, particularly one who served at a table or in a household.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England. In this record, the name appears as "Cnape," reflecting its Old English roots.

As time passed, the name evolved through various spellings, such as "Knape," "Knapp," and "Knappe." These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations. The name was commonly found in areas like Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire, where it was associated with families of modest means or those involved in domestic service.

One notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Knape (c. 1330-1400), a prominent English soldier and landowner during the reign of King Edward III. He served in the Hundred Years' War and was rewarded with lands in Northamptonshire for his military service.

Another historical figure was John Knape (c. 1460-1525), a wealthy merchant from London who served as an alderman and sheriff of the city. He was known for his philanthropy and contributed to the construction of various churches and charitable institutions.

In the 16th century, the name appears in connection with the town of Knapeton (now known as Knapton) in Norfolk, England. This place name likely derived from the surname itself, indicating the presence of families bearing the name in that area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the New World can be found in the records of the Virginia Company, where a Thomas Knape was listed as a settler in the Jamestown colony in 1619.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname KNAPE was also found among the Puritan settlers of New England, with records showing families of this name in towns like Watertown, Massachusetts, and Stratford, Connecticut.

Throughout its history, the surname KNAPE has been associated with families from various social strata, ranging from humble servants to wealthy merchants and landowners. Its evolution and variations reflect the linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped English surnames over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Knape families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knape surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 24 Knapes recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.61x.

County	Total	Frequency	Index
Lancashire	24	0.00%	5.61x
Norfolk	7	0.00%	12.62x
Cambridgeshire	5	0.00%	21.88x
Middlesex	1	0.00%	0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burnley in Lancashire leads with 8 Knapes recorded in 1881 and an index of 221.61x.

Place	Total	Frequency	Index
Burnley	8	0.03%	221.61x
Kings Lynn St Margaret	7	0.05%	419.16x
Ardwick	6	0.02%	155.44x
Manchester	6	0.00%	31.17x
Chesterton	3	0.05%	428.57x
Salford	3	0.00%	23.83x
Crumpsall	1	0.01%	99.01x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary	1	0.01%	100.00x
Hammersmith London	1	0.00%	11.25x
Wisbech St Peter	1	0.01%	86.96x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Knape surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name	Count
Sarah	3
Elizabeth	2
Mary	2
Clara	1
Eliza	1
Emma	1
Fanny	1
Florence	1
Frances	1
Hannah	1
Lydia	1
Martha	1
Rebecca	1
Ruth	1
Susanna	1
Susannah	1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Knape surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name	Count
John	5
James	3
William	3
Edward	2
Harry	1
Henry	1
Herbert	1
Wm.F.	1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Knape households.

Occupation	Count
Scholar	6
Dress Maker	2
(Scholar)	1
Almswoman	1
Bookkeeper Tin Case Makers	1
Butcher	1
Coach Builder	1
Coach Builder Employing 17 Men	1
Coach Builder Wife	1
Copper Tube Drawer	1
Drapers Asst.	1
Dressmaker	1
Flax Spinner	1
Gen Lab	1
Grocers Clerk	1
Infant	1
Mothers Help	1
No Occupation	1
Ostler (8)	1
Stationers Assistant	1
Stone Mason	1

FAQ

Knape surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knape surname in 1881?

In 1881, 38 people were recorded with the Knape surname. That placed it at #28,285 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knape surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 108 in 2016. That gives Knape a modern rank of #29,578.

What does the Knape surname mean?