NameCensus.

UK surname

Knobbs

In the 1881 census there were 60 people recorded with the Knobbs surname, ranking it #25,133 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 99, ranked #31,358, down from #25,133 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sherborne, Leigh and Dilhorne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, East Staffordshire and West Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knobbs is 129 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 65.0%.

1881 census count

60

Ranked #25,133

Modern count

99

2016, ranked #31,358

Peak year

2000

129 bearers

Map years

3

1911 to 2006

Key insights

  • Knobbs had 60 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #25,133 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016, ranked #31,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Knobbs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knobbs surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knobbs 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 40 #26,118
1861 historical 47 #28,023
1881 historical 60 #25,133
1891 historical 82 #26,494
1901 historical 98 #23,119
1911 historical 103 #22,328
1997 modern 111 #25,394
1998 modern 128 #23,828
1999 modern 124 #24,508
2000 modern 129 #23,901
2001 modern 125 #24,011
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 121 #24,776
2004 modern 118 #25,317
2005 modern 110 #26,430
2006 modern 111 #26,565
2007 modern 112 #26,800
2008 modern 110 #27,391
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 109 #28,689
2013 modern 103 #30,235
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 99 #31,358

Geography

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Where Knobbs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sherborne, Leigh, Dilhorne, Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca and Stone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, East Staffordshire, West Dorset and Leicester. 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 Sherborne Dorset
2 Leigh Staffordshire
3 Dilhorne Staffordshire
4 Chester St John the Baptist, St Mary-on-the-Hill, St Olave, St Michael, Spittle Boughton, Chester Ca Cheshire
5 Stone Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 012 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 East Staffordshire 001 East Staffordshire
4 West Dorset 001 West Dorset
5 Leicester 004 Leicester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knobbs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knobbs

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Knobbs is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Knobbs is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knobbs 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 Knobbs is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Knobbs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knobbs 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. Staffordshire leads with 40 Knobbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.25x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 40 20.25x
Lancashire 5 0.72x
Dorset 4 10.42x
Norfolk 3 3.33x
Lanarkshire 2 1.06x
Middlesex 2 0.34x
Devon 1 0.82x
Hampshire 1 0.83x
Shropshire 1 1.98x
Yorkshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leigh in Staffordshire leads with 22 Knobbs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 16923.08x.

Place Total Index
Leigh 22 16923.08x
Stoke Upon Trent 5 23.87x
Draycott In Moors 4 5000.00x
Sherborne 4 353.98x
Cannock 3 86.96x
Lower Darwen 3 329.67x
Caverswall 2 194.17x
Govan 2 4.27x
Upwell 2 476.19x
Aldershot 1 24.88x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 6.59x
Blithfield 1 1666.67x
Broadhempston 1 909.09x
Great Yarmouth 1 13.42x
Hilderstone 1 1250.00x
Holy Trinity 1 7.17x
Kirkdale 1 8.56x
Sandon 1 1000.00x
Shifnal 1 72.99x
St Marylebone London 1 3.20x
Towerof London London 1 526.32x
Uttoxeter 1 99.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 5
Emma 3
Mary 3
Elizth. 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Cecily 1
Harriet 1
Helen 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Rose 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Ephraim 4
Thomas 3
Edward 2
Eli 2
George 2
Herbert 2
James 2
John 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Arthr. 1
Joseph 1
Matthew 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Knobbs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knobbs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 60 people were recorded with the Knobbs surname. That placed it at #25,133 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knobbs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 99 in 2016. That gives Knobbs a modern rank of #31,358.

What does the Knobbs map show?

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