NameCensus.

UK surname

Knapton

An English locational surname referring to a nap or hill where knapweed grows.

In the 1881 census there were 874 people recorded with the Knapton surname, ranking it #4,342 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 948, ranked #6,053, down from #4,342 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Harewood and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, Bradford and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knapton is 1,190 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.5%.

1881 census count

874

Ranked #4,342

Modern count

948

2016, ranked #6,053

Peak year

1911

1,190 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knapton had 874 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,342 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 948 in 2016, ranked #6,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,190 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Knapton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knapton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knapton 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 550 #4,603
1861 historical 515 #5,083
1881 historical 874 #4,342
1891 historical 911 #4,532
1901 historical 1,043 #4,589
1911 historical 1,190 #3,943
1997 modern 936 #5,787
1998 modern 997 #5,687
1999 modern 966 #5,869
2000 modern 944 #5,954
2001 modern 928 #5,932
2002 modern 942 #5,968
2003 modern 895 #6,112
2004 modern 911 #6,034
2005 modern 887 #6,088
2006 modern 910 #5,987
2007 modern 919 #5,996
2008 modern 920 #6,034
2009 modern 914 #6,183
2010 modern 972 #6,006
2011 modern 951 #6,070
2012 modern 947 #5,994
2013 modern 953 #6,065
2014 modern 964 #6,052
2015 modern 951 #6,071
2016 modern 948 #6,053

Geography

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Where Knaptons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Harewood, Bradford, Sheffield and Rotherham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, Bradford, North Lincolnshire and Hambleton. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Harewood Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 001 West Lindsey
2 Bradford 043 Bradford
3 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
4 North Lincolnshire 003 North Lincolnshire
5 Hambleton 006 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knapton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knapton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Knapton, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Knapton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Knapton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Knapton is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Knapton is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knapton falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Knapton 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.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Knapton

The surname Knapton is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "cnaepp" and "tun," meaning "hilltop" and "town" or "village," respectively. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a settlement located on a hilltop.

The earliest known recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cnapetun." This entry suggests that the name was in use as early as the 11th century in England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Knapton was William de Knapton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. This record indicates that the name was well-established in Yorkshire by the 12th century.

During the medieval period, the Knapton family was associated with various locations in Yorkshire, such as Knapton near Malton and Knapton near Scarborough. These place names likely derive from the same Old English root as the surname itself.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Knapton surname was John Knapton (c. 1515-1571), an English priest and theologian who served as a prebendary of Durham Cathedral. He was also the author of several religious works.

Another significant individual with the Knapton surname was Sir John Knapton (1610-1689), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Rye in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, Robert Knapton (1701-1788) was a prominent English bookseller and publisher based in London. He was known for publishing works by notable authors such as Samuel Johnson and James Boswell.

Moving into the 19th century, Charles Knapton (1808-1891) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

Lastly, one of the most recent notable individuals with the Knapton surname was Sir William Knapton (1881-1960), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as the Governor of Cyprus from 1929 to 1932.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knapton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knapton 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. Yorkshire leads with 554 Knaptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.58x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 554 6.58x
Middlesex 58 0.68x
Somerset 52 3.80x
Surrey 30 0.72x
Lancashire 24 0.24x
Dorset 23 4.12x
Lincolnshire 18 1.33x
Hampshire 16 0.92x
Oxfordshire 16 3.05x
Kent 14 0.48x
Glamorgan 11 0.74x
Derbyshire 10 0.75x
Gloucestershire 10 0.60x
Wiltshire 6 0.80x
Worcestershire 6 0.54x
Cheshire 5 0.27x
Staffordshire 4 0.14x
Monmouthshire 3 0.49x
Norfolk 3 0.23x
Devon 2 0.11x
Herefordshire 2 0.57x
Berkshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.99x
Shropshire 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thornton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 59 Knaptons recorded in 1881 and an index of 210.49x.

Place Total Index
Thornton In Bradford 59 210.49x
Horton In Bradford 55 41.83x
Leeds 29 6.10x
Horsforth 25 135.43x
Weeton 19 2021.28x
Rawmarsh 18 60.52x
Headingley Cum Burley 17 31.37x
Ambrosden 16 765.55x
Frome 16 48.91x
Rastrick 16 68.41x
Holbeck 15 26.89x
Mile End Old Town London 15 8.29x
Penselwood 15 1229.51x
Bramley In Bramley 14 43.44x
Clayton 14 67.93x
Gillingham 14 146.14x
Lambeth 14 1.89x
Wortley In Bramley 14 21.00x
Deptford St Paul 12 5.37x
Honley 12 81.41x
Bradford 11 5.40x
Greasbrough 11 98.92x
Cowbridge 10 280.11x
South Crosland 10 112.87x
Amcotts 9 782.61x
Armley 9 24.24x
Bradford Girlington 9 239.36x
Knottingley 9 60.81x
Openshaw 9 19.06x
Sheffield 9 3.36x
Westbury On Trym 9 15.94x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 8 10.20x
Barwick In Elmet 8 124.03x
Bourton 8 327.87x
Bowling 7 8.39x
Ecclesall Bierlow 7 4.09x
Oldham 7 2.15x
Barugh 6 84.39x
Bickerton 6 1500.00x
Islington London 6 0.73x
Leigh On Mendip 6 447.76x
Nether Hallam 6 5.27x
Preston 6 129.03x
Rotherhithe 6 5.72x
Shadwell 6 186.92x
South Cockerington 6 895.52x
St Helens 6 47.39x
Tockwith 6 357.14x
Westminster St John 6 5.80x
Bishops Hull 5 113.12x
Calverley Cum Farsley 5 20.91x
Duffield 5 47.71x
Egham 5 19.67x
Hammersmith London 5 2.39x
Keighley 5 5.57x
Potter Newton 5 33.67x
Pudsey 5 11.11x
Rotherham 5 10.53x
Shipley 5 11.44x
Southowram 5 19.46x
St Pancras London 5 0.73x
Waplington 5 8333.33x
Westminster St James 5 5.72x
Bengeworth 4 104.71x
Chester St Mary On Hill 4 24.86x
Cleckheaton 4 12.89x
Great Kelk 4 769.23x
High Low Catton 4 404.04x
Hipperholme Cum 4 10.81x
Holy Trinity 4 1.98x
Huntspill 4 71.43x
Lyndhurst 4 83.86x
Northowram 4 6.78x
Ryde 4 10.69x
St Marylebone London 4 0.88x
Stoke Newington London 4 6.04x
Toxteth Park 4 1.17x
Walsall Foreign 4 2.70x
Manningham 3 2.89x
Normanby In 3 13.33x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 48
William 44
George 27
Thomas 26
Charles 20
Henry 16
James 15
Arthur 11
Joseph 10
Walter 10
Albert 8
Francis 8
Richard 8
Robert 7
Tom 7
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Fred 6
Frederick 6
David 4
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Benjn. 3
Matthew 3
Thos. 3
Abraham 2
Arther 2
Chas. 2
Eli 2
Elisha 2
Enoch 2
Isaac 2
Sam. 2
Wilson 2
Allan 1
Augustus 1
Barnet 1
Ben 1
Benjamin 1
Dugdale 1
Earlley 1
Ebnezar 1
G.F.T. 1
Geo.William 1
Glover 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Knapton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knapton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 874 people were recorded with the Knapton surname. That placed it at #4,342 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knapton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 948 in 2016. That gives Knapton a modern rank of #6,053.

What does the Knapton surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to a nap or hill where knapweed grows.

What does the Knapton map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Knapton bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.