NameCensus.

UK surname

Knott

Derived from the Old English word "cnotta," referring to someone who lived near a hillock or knoll.

In the 1881 census there were 5,941 people recorded with the Knott surname, ranking it #747 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,406, ranked #1,053, down from #747 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Dover, North Dorset and Staffordshire Moorlands.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knott is 8,047 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.8%.

1881 census count

5,941

Ranked #747

Modern count

6,406

2016, ranked #1,053

Peak year

1911

8,047 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knott had 5,941 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #747 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,406 in 2016, ranked #1,053.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,047 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Knott surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knott surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knott 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 3,767 #756
1861 historical 3,621 #774
1881 historical 5,941 #747
1891 historical 6,257 #741
1901 historical 7,377 #731
1911 historical 8,047 #627
1997 modern 6,860 #943
1998 modern 7,078 #958
1999 modern 7,157 #952
2000 modern 7,057 #959
2001 modern 6,903 #960
2002 modern 7,049 #957
2003 modern 6,795 #971
2004 modern 6,811 #972
2005 modern 6,555 #1,002
2006 modern 6,521 #1,004
2007 modern 6,533 #1,010
2008 modern 6,540 #1,013
2009 modern 6,686 #1,014
2010 modern 6,788 #1,018
2011 modern 6,634 #1,029
2012 modern 6,473 #1,035
2013 modern 6,563 #1,037
2014 modern 6,589 #1,041
2015 modern 6,424 #1,054
2016 modern 6,406 #1,053

Geography

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Where Knotts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester and Stockport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Dover, North Dorset, Staffordshire Moorlands, Bolton and Doncaster. 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 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Stockport Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Dover 011 Dover
2 North Dorset 004 North Dorset
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Bolton 033 Bolton
5 Doncaster 004 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knott

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knott

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

Knott 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

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

Meaning and origin of Knott

The surname Knott has its origins in England and is derived from the Old English word 'cnotta', meaning a knot or a knotted cord. It was likely used initially as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked with ropes or knotted cords, perhaps a sailor or a ropemaker.

The earliest recorded instance of the Knott surname dates back to the 12th century in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire, where a Roger Cnot is mentioned in 1195. Another early record is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert Knot in Oxfordshire.

During the medieval period, the surname Knott was particularly prevalent in the counties of Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Cheshire. Some notable early bearers of the name include John Knot, who was a member of the Parliament of England in 1399, and William Knott, a landowner in Yorkshire mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1447.

The name Knott is also connected to several place names in England, such as Knott Hill in Staffordshire and Knott Lane in Derbyshire. These place names likely derived their names from individuals with the surname Knott who lived in or owned land in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Knott surname in the United States is that of John Knott, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable early American bearer of the name was Thomas Knott, a Quaker who settled in Pennsylvania in the late 17th century.

Throughout history, several individuals with the Knott surname have achieved notable status. These include James Proctor Knott (1830-1908), a U.S. Congressman and Governor of Kentucky, and Edward J. Knott (1799-1875), a prominent American Catholic priest and educator who founded Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland.

Other notable figures with the Knott surname include James Raffield Knott (1853-1923), an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire, and Frederic Knott (1916-2002), an American playwright best known for his play "Dial M for Murder."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knott families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knott 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 1,102 Knotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.60x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,102 1.60x
Kent 610 3.09x
Middlesex 587 1.01x
Yorkshire 452 0.79x
Surrey 371 1.31x
Devon 294 2.44x
Worcestershire 241 3.19x
Cheshire 204 1.60x
Lincolnshire 184 1.99x
Staffordshire 179 0.92x
Hampshire 178 1.50x
Durham 109 0.63x
Essex 107 0.94x
Berkshire 98 2.25x
Derbyshire 88 0.97x
Leicestershire 87 1.35x
Cornwall 77 1.17x
Suffolk 77 1.09x
Norfolk 74 0.83x
Northumberland 69 0.80x
Wiltshire 68 1.33x
Nottinghamshire 63 0.81x
Sussex 63 0.65x
Cambridgeshire 57 1.55x
Somerset 55 0.59x
Gloucestershire 52 0.46x
Bedfordshire 45 1.50x
Warwickshire 45 0.31x
Herefordshire 43 1.81x
Dorset 42 1.10x
Hertfordshire 40 1.00x
Cumberland 34 0.68x
Oxfordshire 29 0.81x
Glamorgan 28 0.28x
Midlothian 15 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.31x
Shropshire 11 0.22x
Northamptonshire 8 0.15x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.61x
Lanarkshire 6 0.03x
Royal Navy 6 0.87x
Brecknockshire 5 0.43x
Flintshire 4 0.26x
Monmouthshire 4 0.10x
Anglesey 2 0.19x
Channel Islands 2 0.12x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.11x
Renfrewshire 2 0.04x
Roxburghshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 249 Knotts recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.58x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 249 16.58x
Oldham 149 6.72x
Camberwell 85 2.30x
Islington London 66 1.18x
St Pancras London 63 1.35x
Gorton 57 8.82x
Dukinfield 55 9.31x
Manchester 55 1.78x
Saddleworth 52 11.74x
Glossop Dale 49 11.54x
Lambeth 48 0.95x
Bermondsey 45 2.61x
Hackney London 44 1.35x
Chelsea London 41 2.35x
Salford 41 2.03x
Pendleton In Salford 40 4.88x
Deptford St Paul 38 2.49x
Calstock 36 27.99x
Claines 36 17.34x
Reading St Mary 36 10.34x
Sturminster 36 97.67x
Failsworth 34 21.62x
Chadderton 33 9.82x
Lee 33 11.50x
Sheffield 31 1.70x
Portsea 30 1.29x
Bexley 29 16.60x
Burham 29 106.31x
Battersea 28 1.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 28 1.35x
Middlesbrough 27 3.61x
Brightside Bierlow 26 2.31x
Clapham 26 3.59x
Gillingham 25 6.14x
Gislingham 25 228.31x
Kidderminster Borough 25 5.65x
Stockport 25 3.80x
Watton 25 89.35x
West Bromwich 25 2.23x
Bishopwearmouth 24 1.62x
Dover St Mary Virgin 24 12.55x
Kensington London 24 0.75x
Little Bolton 24 2.72x
Plymouth Charles The 24 4.52x
Broughton In Salford 23 3.66x
Kingswinford 23 3.24x
North Stoneham 23 85.28x
Tottenham 23 2.49x
Tynemouth 23 4.98x
Leeds 22 0.68x
Newington 22 1.03x
West Ham 22 0.87x
Buckland In Dover 21 32.07x
Corsham 21 28.09x
Hulme 21 1.46x
Linthorpe 21 6.13x
Margate St John Baptist 21 5.80x
Woodbury 21 58.74x
Lye 20 15.89x
Mile End Old Town London 20 1.62x
Newton 20 3.78x
Plymouth St Andrew 20 2.15x
Royton 20 9.51x
Bury 19 2.42x
Fulham London 19 2.26x
Gateshead 19 1.47x
Brighton 18 0.91x
Croydon 18 1.15x
Halling 18 69.50x
Leicester St Margaret 18 1.15x
Millbrook 18 6.02x
Nottingham St Mary 18 0.89x
St Marylebone London 18 0.58x
Ashford 17 8.83x
Liverpool 17 0.41x
Stockton On Tees 17 2.05x
Westminster St John 17 2.41x
Barton Upon Irwell 16 3.09x
Buckfastleigh 16 28.76x
Idle 16 6.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 396
Elizabeth 254
Sarah 231
Ann 115
Jane 101
Eliza 99
Emma 98
Emily 90
Ellen 86
Alice 85
Annie 77
Hannah 65
Martha 61
Maria 47
Margaret 46
Charlotte 40
Edith 40
Harriet 39
Ada 37
Florence 37
Lucy 36
Louisa 32
Clara 31
Caroline 30
Fanny 29
Harriett 28
Frances 25
Kate 24
Esther 22
Susan 22
Catherine 20
Anne 19
Agnes 17
Matilda 17
Isabella 15
Rose 15
Amy 14
Betty 14
Eleanor 14
Ethel 13
Minnie 13
Anna 12
Jessie 12
Sophia 12
Amelia 11
Rebecca 11
Susannah 11
Betsy 10
Elizth. 10
Julia 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 360
William 358
Thomas 208
George 206
James 204
Henry 120
Charles 110
Joseph 108
Alfred 67
Samuel 65
Robert 63
Arthur 57
Frederick 52
Walter 51
Edward 49
Richard 45
Albert 43
Herbert 34
Harry 33
Frank 30
Ernest 26
Edwin 25
Wm. 23
Daniel 19
Fred 19
Francis 16
Sidney 15
Stephen 15
David 11
Thos. 11
Benjamin 10
Isaac 10
Matthew 9
Tom 9
Andrew 7
Chas. 7
Edgar 7
Geo. 7
Jesse 7
Robt. 7
Willie 7
Christopher 6
Harold 6
Abraham 5
Jno. 5
Joshua 5
Leonard 5
Percy 5
Albion 4
Ambrose 4

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 Knott households.

FAQ

Knott surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knott surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,941 people were recorded with the Knott surname. That placed it at #747 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knott surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,406 in 2016. That gives Knott a modern rank of #1,053.

What does the Knott surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word "cnotta," referring to someone who lived near a hillock or knoll.

What does the Knott map show?

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