NameCensus.

UK surname

Knopp

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of buttons, from the Middle High German "knoppe".

In the 1881 census there were 128 people recorded with the Knopp surname, ranking it #17,079 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 141, ranked #24,753, down from #17,079 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ockendon, South, West Thurrock, Purfleet and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Bexley and Sutton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knopp is 201 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.2%.

1881 census count

128

Ranked #17,079

Modern count

141

2016, ranked #24,753

Peak year

1891

201 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knopp had 128 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,079 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016, ranked #24,753.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 201 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Knopp surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knopp surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knopp 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 109 #16,212
1861 historical 132 #16,957
1881 historical 128 #17,079
1891 historical 201 #14,866
1901 historical 187 #15,793
1911 historical 199 #15,016
1997 modern 165 #19,861
1998 modern 163 #20,582
1999 modern 167 #20,374
2000 modern 159 #20,975
2001 modern 159 #20,710
2002 modern 156 #21,348
2003 modern 158 #20,952
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 156 #21,221
2006 modern 147 #22,221
2007 modern 151 #22,120
2008 modern 156 #21,862
2009 modern 167 #21,383
2010 modern 168 #21,733
2011 modern 162 #22,101
2012 modern 146 #23,681
2013 modern 148 #23,884
2014 modern 143 #24,621
2015 modern 142 #24,617
2016 modern 141 #24,753

Geography

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Where Knopps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ockendon, South, West Thurrock, Purfleet, London parishes, Thorrington, Frating and Colchester St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Bexley, Sutton, East Riding of Yorkshire and Medway. 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 Ockendon, South Essex
2 West Thurrock, Purfleet Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Thorrington, Frating Essex
5 Colchester St Peter Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 012 Thurrock
2 Bexley 019 Bexley
3 Sutton 014 Sutton
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 013 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 Medway 035 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knopp

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knopp

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Knopp surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Knopp household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Knopp is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Knopp 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

Knopp falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Knopp is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Knopp

The surname Knopp has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is thought to derive from the Middle High German word "knopp," which referred to a knob or a button, potentially indicating a profession or occupation related to button-making or similar crafts.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knopp can be found in the German city of Nuremberg, where a certain Johannes Knopp was mentioned in a tax register dating back to the 14th century. The name also appeared in various court records and municipal documents from the same time period in other parts of southern Germany.

In the 16th century, the surname Knopp started to spread beyond its original heartland in southern Germany. Records from this era show Knopp families residing in towns and villages across the German states, including areas such as Saxony, Brandenburg, and Pomerania.

One notable individual with the surname Knopp was Johann Knopp, a renowned German clockmaker who lived in Nuremberg during the late 16th century. His intricate and beautifully crafted clocks were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.

Another historical figure bearing the Knopp name was Christoph Knopp, a German Lutheran theologian and educator who lived in the 17th century. He served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was known for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, the Knopp surname gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. One notable Silesian Knopp was Johann Gottlieb Knopp, a renowned composer and organist who lived from 1711 to 1778. His compositions for organ and church choir were highly regarded and widely performed during his lifetime.

As the German diaspora spread across the globe in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Knopp surname was carried to various parts of the world by emigrant families. Today, descendants of these German Knopp families can be found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knopp families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knopp 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. Essex leads with 64 Knopps recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.97x.

County Total Index
Essex 64 25.97x
Middlesex 37 2.96x
Bedfordshire 6 9.28x
Surrey 6 0.99x
Lancashire 5 0.34x
Suffolk 5 3.29x
Hampshire 2 0.78x
Kent 2 0.47x
Devon 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Frating in Essex leads with 19 Knopps recorded in 1881 and an index of 17272.73x.

Place Total Index
Frating 19 17272.73x
Mile End Old Town 9 45.66x
Bromley London 8 29.12x
Colchester St Peter 8 808.08x
Bedford St Mary 6 359.28x
Grays Thurrock 6 262.01x
Islington London 6 4.96x
South Ockendon 6 1176.47x
Tillingham 6 1395.35x
Enfield 5 61.05x
Lambeth 5 4.59x
Preston 5 12.61x
Walthamstow 5 56.37x
Colchester St Botolph 4 190.48x
Hartest 4 1538.46x
St George Hanover 3 18.40x
Hackney London 2 2.86x
Plumstead 2 14.08x
Portsea 2 3.99x
St George Martyr 2 95.24x
West Thurrock 2 243.90x
Alresford 1 909.09x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.84x
Bradwell 1 238.10x
Braintree 1 45.25x
Camberwell 1 1.25x
Cavendish 1 204.08x
Chelsea London 1 2.66x
Colchester All Sts 1 526.32x
Elmstead 1 250.00x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 256.41x
South Weald 1 47.39x
Tavistock 1 33.78x
West Ham 1 1.84x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 6
Emily 5
Alice 4
Emma 4
Jane 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Hannah 3
Anne 2
Annie 2
Eve 2
Louisa 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Frances 1
Hilda 1
Jueliet 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Lisette 1
Lydia 1
Mercy 1
Mildred 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1
Selina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 12
George 7
Frederick 5
James 4
John 4
Benjamin 3
Walter 3
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Jonathan 2
Alfred 1
Geo.Alfd. 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Karl 1
Mark 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Knopp surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knopp surname in 1881?

In 1881, 128 people were recorded with the Knopp surname. That placed it at #17,079 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knopp surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 141 in 2016. That gives Knopp a modern rank of #24,753.

What does the Knopp surname mean?

A German occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of buttons, from the Middle High German "knoppe".

What does the Knopp map show?

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