NameCensus.

UK surname

Kneen

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly Manx or Scottish Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Kneen surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 256, ranked #16,534, up from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arlecdon, Toxteth Park and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Kirklees and Huntingdonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kneen is 272 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 91.0%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

256

2016, ranked #16,534

Peak year

2013

272 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kneen had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016, ranked #16,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 205 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Kneen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kneen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kneen 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 42 #25,706
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 163 #17,300
1901 historical 205 #14,884
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 242 #15,597
1998 modern 261 #15,241
1999 modern 251 #15,751
2000 modern 253 #15,623
2001 modern 242 #15,832
2002 modern 261 #15,369
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 269 #14,955
2005 modern 262 #15,182
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 245 #16,134
2008 modern 244 #16,346
2009 modern 253 #16,283
2010 modern 271 #15,856
2011 modern 256 #16,383
2012 modern 265 #15,862
2013 modern 272 #15,836
2014 modern 271 #15,986
2015 modern 259 #16,409
2016 modern 256 #16,534

Geography

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Where Kneens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arlecdon, Toxteth Park, Manchester, Childwall and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Kirklees, Huntingdonshire, Forest of Dean and Stockport. 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 Arlecdon Cumberland
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Childwall Lancashire
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 023 Tameside
2 Kirklees 028 Kirklees
3 Huntingdonshire 010 Huntingdonshire
4 Forest of Dean 002 Forest of Dean
5 Stockport 027 Stockport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kneen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kneen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Kneen, 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 Kneen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Kneen 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Kneen is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kneen is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kneen falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kneen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Kneen

The surname KNEEN is believed to have originated in the Isle of Man, a small island located in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The name is thought to have derived from the Manx Gaelic word "keeneenagh," which means "moss-covered" or "mossy."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name KNEEN can be found in the Manx Book of Records, also known as the Manx Manorial Rolls, which dates back to the late 16th century. These records document various transactions, agreements, and legal proceedings involving individuals with the surname KNEEN on the Isle of Man.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name KNEEN appeared in several historical documents and records from the Isle of Man, such as parish registers, land deeds, and court records. Some notable individuals with the KNEEN surname from this period include John Kneen (1615-1690), a landowner and farmer, and William Kneen (1730-1805), a prominent merchant and ship owner.

In the 19th century, the name KNEEN gained wider recognition beyond the Isle of Man as many individuals with this surname emigrated to other parts of the British Isles, as well as to North America and Australia. One notable figure from this time was Thomas Kneen (1838-1912), a Manx author and poet who wrote extensively about the history and culture of the Isle of Man.

Another notable KNEEN was John Joseph Kneen (1856-1938), a Manx-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives and was instrumental in establishing the Australian Labor Party.

In more recent times, the KNEEN surname has been associated with several accomplished individuals, including Sir Frederic Kneen (1909-1993), a British diplomat and former ambassador to Yugoslavia, and Brewster Kneen (1939-2021), a Canadian author and activist known for his work on environmental and social issues.

Overall, the surname KNEEN has a rich history deeply rooted in the Isle of Man, with its origins dating back centuries. While the name has since spread across the globe, it remains a proud symbol of the island's cultural heritage and the resilience of its people.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kneen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kneen 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. Isle of Man leads with 321 Kneens recorded in 1881 and an index of 390.32x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 321 390.32x
Lancashire 71 1.35x
Cumberland 31 8.13x
Yorkshire 14 0.32x
Surrey 6 0.28x
Middlesex 5 0.11x
Inverness-shire 2 1.51x
Renfrewshire 2 0.58x
Kent 1 0.07x
Lanarkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Onchan in Isle of Man leads with 66 Kneens recorded in 1881 and an index of 278.60x.

Place Total Index
Onchan 66 278.60x
Maughold 41 645.67x
Rushen 32 575.54x
Ballaugh 31 2108.84x
Andreas 26 1165.92x
Everton 24 14.33x
Patrick 24 598.50x
Lezayre 19 514.91x
Braddan 16 356.35x
Jurby 16 1616.16x
Malew 13 181.06x
Arlecdon 12 118.34x
Lamplugh 11 575.92x
Great Crosby 10 69.78x
Michael 10 598.80x
St Anne 9 1011.24x
Cheetham 7 17.86x
Dalton In Furness 7 34.52x
Liverpool 7 2.19x
Whitehaven 7 34.45x
Barrow In Furness 6 8.40x
Douglas 6 504.20x
Toxteth Park 6 3.37x
Flasby Cum Winterburn 5 2631.58x
Lonan 5 100.40x
Bride 4 357.14x
Skircoat 4 23.11x
Cathcart 2 10.77x
Fulham London 2 3.11x
German 2 44.54x
Lambeth 2 0.52x
Penge 2 7.07x
Portree 2 40.90x
Rotherhithe 2 3.66x
Sowerby In Thirsk 2 75.76x
St George Martyr London 2 22.30x
Witton 2 30.26x
Cockermouth 1 12.45x
Drypool 1 14.88x
German Peel 1 21.10x
Glasgow 1 0.39x
Leeds 1 0.40x
Lewisham 1 1.24x
Mirfield 1 4.15x
St Pancras London 1 0.28x
Tottington Higher End 1 16.72x
Whittingham 1 43.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 22
Jane 21
Mary 14
Ann 13
Catherine 13
Ellen 11
Margaret 11
Annie 10
Isabella 10
Eleanor 8
Emily 6
Sarah 6
Anne 5
Alice 4
Charlotte 4
Eliza 4
Catharine 3
Esther 3
Hannah 3
Margret 3
Sophia 3
Christain 2
Christian 2
Christiana 2
Edith 2
Elinor 2
Kate 2
Maggie 2
Margt. 2
Cate 1
Drusellia 1
Eda 1
Elizeth 1
Ellenor 1
Ellie 1
Elloner 1
Emma 1
Emmy 1
Ester 1
Francis 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Lena 1
Louisa 1
Margery 1
Marget 1
Margreet 1
Thos. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 42
William 42
Thomas 32
James 13
Robert 13
Edward 12
George 9
Joseph 9
Henry 7
Alfred 5
Daniel 4
Philip 4
Richard 4
Frederick 2
Robt. 2
Wm. 2
Alma 1
Edgar 1
Ellen 1
Ethelbert 1
Evan 1
Frank 1
Fredick 1
Fredr. 1
Fredrick 1
Hugh 1
Hy.Edd. 1
Jonathan 1
Moses 1
Richd 1
Ridgeway 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Willie 1
Willmm. 1

FAQ

Kneen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kneen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Kneen surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kneen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016. That gives Kneen a modern rank of #16,534.

What does the Kneen surname mean?

A surname of uncertain origin, possibly Manx or Scottish Gaelic.

What does the Kneen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Kneen 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.