NameCensus.

UK surname

Knipe

A surname potentially derived from the Old English "cnap" meaning hill or hillock.

In the 1881 census there were 444 people recorded with the Knipe surname, ranking it #7,385 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 735, ranked #7,416, down from #7,385 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Toxteth Park and Millom, Muncaster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Lakeland, West Oxfordshire and Herefordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knipe is 801 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.5%.

1881 census count

444

Ranked #7,385

Modern count

735

2016, ranked #7,416

Peak year

2000

801 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knipe had 444 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,385 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016, ranked #7,416.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 569 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Knipe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knipe surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knipe 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 292 #7,807
1861 historical 214 #11,365
1881 historical 444 #7,385
1891 historical 464 #7,887
1901 historical 569 #7,362
1911 historical 514 #7,669
1997 modern 707 #7,191
1998 modern 792 #6,807
1999 modern 788 #6,880
2000 modern 801 #6,767
2001 modern 770 #6,842
2002 modern 780 #6,920
2003 modern 753 #7,002
2004 modern 777 #6,829
2005 modern 731 #7,091
2006 modern 747 #7,006
2007 modern 745 #7,091
2008 modern 737 #7,204
2009 modern 748 #7,272
2010 modern 766 #7,274
2011 modern 750 #7,311
2012 modern 735 #7,344
2013 modern 756 #7,297
2014 modern 757 #7,317
2015 modern 749 #7,310
2016 modern 735 #7,416

Geography

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Where Knipes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Toxteth Park, Millom, Muncaster, Llanvrechva and Hawkshead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Lakeland, West Oxfordshire and Herefordshire. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Millom, Muncaster Cumberland
4 Llanvrechva Monmouthshire
5 Hawkshead Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
2 West Oxfordshire 008 West Oxfordshire
3 South Lakeland 013 South Lakeland
4 Herefordshire 021 Herefordshire, County of
5 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knipe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knipe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Knipe, 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 Knipe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Knipe 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Knipe 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

Knipe is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knipe falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Knipe 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 Knipe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Knipe

The surname Knipe originates from England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cnaepp," which means a hilltop or summit. The name was likely given to someone who lived on or near a prominent hill.

The earliest known record of the name Knipe appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cnape" in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in northern England by the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as "Knype" and "Knyppe" in various parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. These early spellings reflect the regional dialects and pronunciations of the time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Knipe was John Knype, who was born around 1450 in Lancashire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire in 1472.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Knipe, born in 1550 in Yorkshire. He was a successful merchant and served as Lord Mayor of York in 1601.

In the 17th century, the name Knipe began to spread beyond its traditional northern English stronghold. William Knipe, born in 1620 in Derbyshire, was a noted scholar and author who published works on theology and philosophy.

The 18th century saw the rise of the Knipe family in the county of Cumberland (now part of Cumbria). John Knipe, born in 1725, was a wealthy landowner and served as High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1768.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Knipe was the British naval officer Sir Benjamin Knipe, born in 1780 in Norfolk. He had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath for his service during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the surname Knipe has also been associated with various place names, such as Knipe Scar in Yorkshire and Knipe Fell in Cumbria, further reinforcing its connection to the landscape and topography of northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knipe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knipe 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 116 Knipes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.26x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 116 2.26x
Lincolnshire 68 9.82x
Cumberland 40 10.73x
Yorkshire 38 0.89x
Monmouthshire 31 9.90x
Wiltshire 28 7.31x
Middlesex 19 0.44x
Lanarkshire 16 1.14x
Surrey 11 0.52x
Cheshire 8 0.84x
Dorset 8 2.81x
Hertfordshire 7 2.34x
Derbyshire 6 0.88x
Staffordshire 6 0.41x
Worcestershire 6 1.06x
Durham 5 0.39x
Gloucestershire 5 0.59x
Hampshire 4 0.45x
Kent 4 0.27x
Oxfordshire 4 1.50x
Suffolk 3 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.73x
Renfrewshire 2 0.60x
Somerset 2 0.29x
Denbighshire 1 0.61x
Devon 1 0.11x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.17x
Sussex 1 0.14x
Warwickshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Thurlby Obthorpe in Lincolnshire leads with 30 Knipes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3225.81x.

Place Total Index
Thurlby Obthorpe 30 3225.81x
Church Coniston 21 1458.33x
Millom 17 148.73x
Toxteth Park 16 9.19x
Upper Llanvrechva 15 308.64x
Kington Langley 13 1547.62x
Camberwell 10 3.61x
Glasgow 9 3.62x
Guiseley 9 163.64x
Poulton Barre 9 153.85x
Preston 8 5.82x
Sturton Bransby 8 833.33x
Wyke Regis 8 196.08x
Arlecdon 7 70.56x
Barony 7 1.97x
Bishop Stortford 7 70.21x
Braceborough 7 2592.59x
Ousefleet 7 2258.06x
Panteg 7 141.99x
Shoreditch London 7 3.73x
Tranmere 7 19.92x
Trevethin 7 23.67x
Hawkshead Monk Coniston 6 335.20x
Melbourne 6 129.59x
Salford 6 3.97x
St Cuthbert W O 6 33.00x
Castleton 5 9.74x
Darlington 5 10.05x
Earl Stoke 5 1250.00x
Kensington London 5 2.08x
Leeds 5 2.06x
Manchester 5 2.16x
Manningham 5 9.46x
Slyne With Hest 5 1111.11x
South Kelsey 5 549.45x
Upper Holker 5 413.22x
Wolstanton 5 11.26x
Wootton Bassett 5 150.15x
Baildon 4 49.51x
Barrow In Furness 4 5.72x
Lancaster 4 13.08x
Saxby In Glanford Brigg 4 816.33x
Burley In Wharfdale 3 79.16x
Charlton 3 267.86x
Elmore 3 576.92x
Mile End Old Town London 3 3.25x
Newmarket St Mary 3 74.07x
Oldham 3 1.81x
Preston Quarter 3 28.71x
Spalding 3 21.83x
Stamford St Mary 3 214.29x
Bradford 2 8.31x
Burton By Lincoln 2 476.19x
Chepstow 2 37.52x
Claife 2 243.90x
Cleckheaton 2 12.65x
Dalton In Furness 2 10.08x
Ducklington 2 312.50x
Flimby 2 63.49x
Hanley Castle 2 59.17x
Harrow On The Hill 2 23.12x
Hatley St George 2 1000.00x
Leigh 2 29.11x
Muncaster 2 253.16x
Paisley Middle Church 2 10.24x
Portsea 2 1.15x
Shipley 2 8.98x
Toft Lound Manthorpe 2 512.82x
Whitehaven 2 10.07x
Worcester All Sts 2 60.98x
Wrawby 2 106.95x
Alverstoke 1 3.11x
Bowdon 1 26.39x
Cheltenham 1 1.53x
Drigg Carleton 1 119.05x
Grantham 1 11.07x
Horfield 1 11.70x
Newton Abbot St Mary 1 13.23x
Plumstead 1 2.03x
Sedgley 1 1.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 24
Sarah 16
Jane 13
Elizabeth 11
Ann 10
Annie 8
Alice 6
Ellen 6
Lucy 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Margaret 4
Martha 4
Ruth 4
Sophia 4
Charlotte 3
Fanny 3
Hannah 3
Kate 3
Susannah 3
Agnes 2
Catherine 2
Eleanor 2
Eliz. 2
Emily 2
Eva 2
Georgina 2
Janet 2
Julia 2
Lydia 2
Rachel 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Anethe 1
Betty 1
Bridget 1
Celia 1
Elizth. 1
Elviria 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eugenie 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Henrietta 1
Isabel 1
Jemima 1
Larina 1
Laura 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 31
John 26
James 18
Thomas 18
George 13
Joseph 12
Francis 9
Charles 7
Edward 7
Henry 6
Robert 5
Samuel 4
Arthur 3
David 3
Eldred 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Christopher 2
Edmund 2
Harry 2
Isaac 2
Richard 2
Walt. 2
Amos 1
Archibald 1
Aug. 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Chas. 1
Fisher 1
Fred 1
Freddy 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Henary 1
Herbert 1
Hew. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Jessie 1
Joshua 1
Lucy 1
Marcus 1
Margret 1
Mathew 1
Percy 1
Robinson 1
Rupert 1
Zaccharias 1

FAQ

Knipe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knipe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 444 people were recorded with the Knipe surname. That placed it at #7,385 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knipe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 735 in 2016. That gives Knipe a modern rank of #7,416.

What does the Knipe surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from the Old English "cnap" meaning hill or hillock.

What does the Knipe map show?

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