NameCensus.

UK surname

Knight

An occupational surname referring to a knight, a military servant of a king or other superior.

In the 1881 census there were 36,756 people recorded with the Knight surname, ranking it #83 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 48,792, ranked #100, down from #83 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hampshire, Daventry and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knight is 50,315 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.7%.

1881 census count

36,756

Ranked #83

Modern count

48,792

2016, ranked #100

Peak year

1999

50,315 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knight had 36,756 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #83 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 48,792 in 2016, ranked #100.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 48,537 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Knight surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knight surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knight 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 23,952 #84
1861 historical 24,252 #84
1881 historical 36,756 #83
1891 historical 39,221 #83
1901 historical 45,472 #86
1911 historical 48,537 #76
1997 modern 48,056 #93
1998 modern 50,269 #92
1999 modern 50,315 #93
2000 modern 50,094 #91
2001 modern 48,747 #92
2002 modern 49,847 #93
2003 modern 48,569 #94
2004 modern 48,388 #96
2005 modern 47,400 #99
2006 modern 47,317 #100
2007 modern 47,608 #100
2008 modern 47,705 #100
2009 modern 48,867 #100
2010 modern 49,900 #100
2011 modern 49,419 #99
2012 modern 48,778 #98
2013 modern 49,733 #98
2014 modern 49,792 #98
2015 modern 49,116 #98
2016 modern 48,792 #100

Geography

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Where Knights are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Portsmouth, Portsea and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hampshire, Daventry, Forest of Dean and Fareham. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire
2 East Hampshire 002 East Hampshire
3 Daventry 005 Daventry
4 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
5 Fareham 003 Fareham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knight

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knight

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Knight 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

Knight is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knight 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 Knight 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 Knight, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Knight

The surname KNIGHT originates from England and dates back to the medieval period, around the 11th century. It derives from the Old English word "cniht," which referred to a young man, a servant, or a military attendant. Over time, the term evolved to describe a soldier or a knight in the feudal system.

The name is closely associated with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, as many knights and soldiers were granted lands and titles by William the Conqueror. Some early records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholders and estates commissioned by William I in 1086.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KNIGHT can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, which mention a Robert le Knyght. The use of the prefix "le" or "the" was common in medieval times to denote a person's occupation or status.

In the 13th century, the surname KNIGHT appears in various historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, which lists a John le Knyght. The name was also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, mentioning a William le Knyght.

One notable figure bearing the surname KNIGHT was Sir John Knight (c. 1483 - 1545), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the Recorder of Bristol and was appointed as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

Another prominent individual was John Knight (c. 1499 - 1564), an English churchman and academic who served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1541 to 1547. He played a significant role in the English Reformation under King Edward VI.

In the 17th century, Samuel Knight (1675 - 1746) was a renowned English mathematician and philosopher. He made significant contributions to the study of algebra and calculus and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1719.

During the 18th century, Gowin Knight (1713 - 1772) was a notable English antiquarian and numismatist (coin collector). He authored several works on ancient coins and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1745.

In the 19th century, Charles Knight (1791 - 1873) was a prominent English publisher and author. He founded the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and published numerous educational works, including the Penny Cyclopaedia and the Penny Magazine.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname KNIGHT throughout history, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance in various fields and time periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knight families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knight 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. Middlesex leads with 4,674 Knights recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.30x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 4,674 1.30x
Surrey 3,411 1.94x
Hampshire 2,399 3.25x
Sussex 2,337 3.85x
Lancashire 2,326 0.54x
Kent 2,315 1.88x
Warwickshire 1,501 1.65x
Yorkshire 1,357 0.38x
Gloucestershire 1,233 1.75x
Staffordshire 1,166 0.96x
Somerset 1,136 1.96x
Devon 1,135 1.51x
Essex 1,059 1.49x
Northamptonshire 934 2.76x
Worcestershire 881 1.87x
Leicestershire 866 2.17x
Cornwall 790 1.94x
Nottinghamshire 590 1.22x
Cheshire 539 0.68x
Berkshire 435 1.61x
Derbyshire 425 0.75x
Wiltshire 386 1.21x
Dorset 377 1.60x
Lincolnshire 373 0.65x
Hertfordshire 360 1.45x
Glamorgan 290 0.46x
Bedfordshire 278 1.49x
Buckinghamshire 272 1.25x
Durham 265 0.25x
Angus 233 0.70x
Monmouthshire 229 0.88x
Aberdeenshire 187 0.56x
Oxfordshire 183 0.82x
Lanarkshire 170 0.15x
Suffolk 162 0.37x
Midlothian 143 0.30x
Norfolk 138 0.25x
Cumberland 133 0.43x
Huntingdonshire 133 1.86x
Northumberland 120 0.22x
Channel Islands 105 0.98x
Herefordshire 104 0.70x
Rutland 86 3.25x
Shropshire 74 0.24x
Cambridgeshire 69 0.30x
Fife 58 0.27x
Perthshire 44 0.27x
Royal Navy 43 1.00x
Westmorland 43 0.54x
Isle of Man 42 0.63x
Flintshire 40 0.41x
Morayshire 28 0.50x
Orkney 24 0.61x
Pembrokeshire 19 0.17x
Roxburghshire 16 0.25x
Denbighshire 15 0.11x
Kincardineshire 15 0.34x
Wigtownshire 14 0.29x
Banffshire 13 0.17x
Ayrshire 12 0.04x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 0.21x
Radnorshire 11 0.38x
Renfrewshire 11 0.04x
Brecknockshire 10 0.14x
Caernarfonshire 10 0.07x
Anglesey 8 0.13x
Dumfriesshire 8 0.10x
West Lothian 7 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.04x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.06x
Dunbartonshire 4 0.04x
Inverness-shire 4 0.04x
Merionethshire 3 0.05x
Stirlingshire 3 0.02x
Berwickshire 2 0.05x
Argyllshire 1 0.01x
Buteshire 1 0.05x
Caithness 1 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.01x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.03x
Kinross-shire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 476 Knights recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.36x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 476 1.36x
Lambeth 458 1.46x
Portsea 426 2.94x
Aston 395 1.58x
Brighton 375 3.06x
Birmingham 357 1.18x
St Pancras London 357 1.23x
Camberwell 347 1.51x
St Marylebone London 276 1.44x
Battersea 266 2.01x
Croydon 258 2.65x
Kensington London 245 1.22x
Hackney London 244 1.21x
West Ham 231 1.47x
Leicester St Margaret 225 2.31x
St George Hanover Square 210 3.31x
Bethnal Green London 202 1.29x
Shoreditch London 186 1.19x
Chelsea London 175 1.61x
Nottingham St Mary 175 1.39x
Paddington London 169 1.28x
Mile End Old Town London 168 2.19x
Newington 163 1.23x
Clerkenwell London 145 1.71x
Deptford St Paul 141 1.49x
Horsham 138 11.70x
Liverpool 130 0.50x
Westbury On Severn East 130 8.14x
Ashton Under Lyne 128 1.37x
Farnham 126 9.23x
Tonbridge 121 2.73x
Southwark St George Martyr 118 1.63x
West Bromwich 117 1.68x
Bromley London 116 1.46x
Worsley 116 4.40x
Bedminster 112 2.06x
Eastbourne 112 4.01x
Bermondsey 111 1.04x
Stoke Damerel 110 2.10x
Hammersmith London 108 1.22x
Rushden 106 23.39x
Alton 104 18.69x
Plymouth St Andrew 104 1.80x
Tottenham 102 1.78x
Stoke Upon Trent 97 0.75x
Reigate Foreign 96 5.05x
Manchester 95 0.49x
Plumstead 93 2.27x
Wellingborough 89 5.23x
Chatham 87 2.57x
Monifieth 87 7.38x
Rotherhithe 87 1.96x
Clapham 84 1.87x
Southampton St Mary 84 1.81x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 83 1.25x
Dundee 83 0.67x
Dorking 80 6.79x
Leeds 80 0.40x
Maidstone 79 2.16x
Cheltenham 78 1.43x
Everton 76 0.56x
Kingston On Thames 76 1.80x
Minster In Sheppey 76 3.73x
Willesden 75 2.21x
Poplar London 73 1.07x
Alverstoke 72 2.70x
Salford 72 0.57x
Woolwich 72 1.59x
Fulham London 71 1.36x
Leicester St Mary 71 2.20x
Oldham 71 0.51x
Warrington 70 1.38x
Brightside Bierlow 69 0.99x
Hampstead London 69 1.23x
Lewisham 69 1.05x
Pendleton In Salford 69 1.36x
Westminster St John 69 1.57x
St Luke London 68 1.18x
Greenwich 67 1.17x
Sheffield 67 0.59x
Wandsworth 67 1.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2,236
Elizabeth 1,345
Sarah 1,307
Jane 633
Ellen 614
Ann 602
Emma 591
Alice 590
Eliza 590
Annie 532
Emily 501
Hannah 309
Louisa 307
Martha 282
Harriet 276
Fanny 269
Charlotte 268
Edith 254
Caroline 247
Maria 243
Ada 238
Florence 237
Kate 212
Margaret 206
Lucy 190
Clara 181
Harriett 162
Susan 158
Anne 146
Frances 146
Catherine 131
Rose 123
Amelia 115
Agnes 113
Matilda 93
Julia 91
Sophia 86
Elizth. 84
Esther 84
Rebecca 84
Amy 83
Minnie 75
Gertrude 69
Jessie 69
Susannah 69
Lydia 64
Eleanor 62
Isabella 60
Selina 55
Laura 54

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2,163
John 1,780
George 1,484
Thomas 1,107
James 1,091
Charles 888
Henry 888
Joseph 555
Alfred 458
Frederick 377
Edward 364
Arthur 341
Richard 328
Albert 308
Samuel 298
Robert 282
Walter 270
Harry 246
Frank 168
Edwin 151
Ernest 143
Herbert 138
David 108
Wm. 102
Francis 98
Stephen 85
Benjamin 78
Daniel 69
Peter 68
Thos. 67
Fred 66
Geo. 62
Fredk. 60
Tom 52
Percy 49
Sidney 48
Edmund 43
Jesse 41
Chas. 39
Abraham 37
Isaac 37
Willm. 37
Edgar 32
Fredrick 31
Mark 30
Leonard 27
Alexander 26
Frederic 26
Matthew 25
Sydney 25

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 Knight households.

FAQ

Knight surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knight surname in 1881?

In 1881, 36,756 people were recorded with the Knight surname. That placed it at #83 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knight surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 48,792 in 2016. That gives Knight a modern rank of #100.

What does the Knight surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a knight, a military servant of a king or other superior.

What does the Knight map show?

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