NameCensus.

UK surname

Knowles

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "knoll" or "hillock."

In the 1881 census there were 15,989 people recorded with the Knowles surname, ranking it #247 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 19,223, ranked #311, down from #247 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, South Lakeland and Newark and Sherwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Knowles is 20,447 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 20.2%.

1881 census count

15,989

Ranked #247

Modern count

19,223

2016, ranked #311

Peak year

1911

20,447 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Knowles had 15,989 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #247 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 19,223 in 2016, ranked #311.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,447 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Knowles surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Knowles surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Knowles 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 9,567 #268
1861 historical 9,698 #271
1881 historical 15,989 #247
1891 historical 16,796 #243
1901 historical 19,496 #253
1911 historical 20,447 #219
1997 modern 19,223 #298
1998 modern 19,970 #298
1999 modern 20,109 #299
2000 modern 19,982 #299
2001 modern 19,586 #297
2002 modern 19,867 #298
2003 modern 19,430 #299
2004 modern 19,288 #299
2005 modern 18,801 #303
2006 modern 18,738 #304
2007 modern 18,846 #304
2008 modern 18,967 #304
2009 modern 19,471 #304
2010 modern 19,749 #307
2011 modern 19,549 #305
2012 modern 19,040 #308
2013 modern 19,495 #306
2014 modern 19,551 #309
2015 modern 19,339 #311
2016 modern 19,223 #311

Geography

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Where Knowles' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, South Lakeland, Newark and Sherwood and North Norfolk. 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 Manchester Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
2 South Lakeland 003 South Lakeland
3 South Lakeland 005 South Lakeland
4 Newark and Sherwood 001 Newark and Sherwood
5 North Norfolk 001 North Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Knowles

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Knowles

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Knowles 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

Knowles is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Knowles falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Knowles

The surname Knowles originated in England, and it dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cnolle" and "hyll," which mean "hill" or "knoll." The name was likely adopted as a descriptive surname for someone who lived on or near a hill or knoll.

The Knowles surname is believed to have emerged in various parts of England, including Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cnoll."

In the 13th century, the name was spelled in various ways, such as "Knolle," "Knolles," and "Knollys." The spelling "Knowles" became more common in the 16th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Knowles was Sir Robert Knowles, a renowned English military commander who lived from around 1310 to 1407. He played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

Another notable figure with the Knowles surname was John Knowles, a British politician and landowner who lived from 1619 to 1684. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the English Civil War.

In the literary world, James Knowles (1759-1840) was an English playwright and actor who wrote several popular plays, including "The Beggar's Daughter of Bethnal Green."

The Knowles family also had connections to place names. For example, the village of Knollys in Shropshire, England, was named after the Knowles family, who owned land in the area.

Reverend James Knowles (1798-1884) was an American clergyman and author who wrote several books on theology and religious topics. He was born in Massachusetts and played a significant role in the development of the Unitarian church in the United States.

Overall, the surname Knowles has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, with connections to various regions, place names, and notable individuals throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Knowles families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Knowles 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 5,132 Knowles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.77x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 5,132 2.77x
Yorkshire 2,426 1.57x
Cheshire 891 2.59x
Middlesex 780 0.50x
Derbyshire 655 2.68x
Kent 520 0.98x
Staffordshire 516 0.98x
Surrey 511 0.67x
Worcestershire 388 1.90x
Nottinghamshire 352 1.67x
Warwickshire 295 0.75x
Devon 294 0.91x
Durham 260 0.56x
Sussex 229 0.87x
Aberdeenshire 226 1.56x
Lincolnshire 188 0.75x
Hampshire 185 0.58x
Norfolk 181 0.75x
Somerset 139 0.55x
Westmorland 127 3.70x
Cornwall 117 0.66x
Northumberland 110 0.47x
Essex 109 0.35x
Kincardineshire 106 5.58x
Cumberland 102 0.76x
Gloucestershire 100 0.33x
Midlothian 100 0.48x
Cambridgeshire 75 0.76x
Shropshire 69 0.51x
Wiltshire 63 0.46x
Northamptonshire 61 0.42x
Angus 53 0.37x
Herefordshire 48 0.75x
Hertfordshire 47 0.44x
Leicestershire 47 0.27x
Suffolk 46 0.24x
Oxfordshire 45 0.47x
Lanarkshire 40 0.08x
Berkshire 38 0.32x
Caernarfonshire 38 0.60x
Glamorgan 35 0.13x
Denbighshire 22 0.37x
Stirlingshire 19 0.33x
Buckinghamshire 17 0.18x
East Lothian 14 0.68x
Perthshire 14 0.20x
West Lothian 14 0.60x
Brecknockshire 13 0.42x
Monmouthshire 13 0.12x
Royal Navy 13 0.70x
Rutland 13 1.13x
Banffshire 11 0.34x
Huntingdonshire 11 0.36x
Isle of Man 10 0.35x
Nairnshire 10 2.10x
Renfrewshire 9 0.07x
Bedfordshire 6 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.09x
Channel Islands 5 0.11x
Fife 5 0.05x
Anglesey 3 0.11x
Argyllshire 3 0.07x
Dorset 3 0.03x
Merionethshire 3 0.11x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.08x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Caithness 1 0.05x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.03x
Flintshire 1 0.02x
Peeblesshire 1 0.14x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.08x
Wigtownshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 244 Knowles' recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.95x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 244 4.95x
Preston 234 4.72x
Over Darwen 199 13.46x
Little Bolton 160 6.72x
Hyde 148 14.56x
Manchester 147 1.77x
Lambeth 138 1.01x
Birmingham 133 1.01x
Aston 131 1.21x
Liverpool 129 1.15x
Accrington 127 7.55x
Bradford 126 3.37x
Ashton Under Lyne 118 2.92x
Leeds 115 1.32x
Great Bolton 114 4.65x
Matlock 112 34.15x
Denton 103 25.11x
Horton In Bradford 98 4.06x
Everton 95 1.61x
West Derby 94 1.74x
Bowling 85 5.55x
Wollescote 83 50.58x
Salford 81 1.49x
Islington London 79 0.52x
St Marylebone London 78 0.94x
Brampton 77 22.55x
Hulme 76 1.97x
Wigan 76 2.94x
Aberdeen Old Machar 75 2.49x
Dudley 74 2.99x
Liversedge 74 10.75x
Stockport 73 4.12x
Chorlton On Medlock 72 2.45x
Habergham Eaves 70 4.14x
St Pancras London 70 0.56x
Toxteth Park 70 1.12x
Dukinfield 69 4.34x
Dewsbury 66 4.16x
Edgeworth 66 66.37x
Burnley 63 4.04x
Halifax 63 2.78x
Atherton 62 9.20x
Walton Le Dale 62 12.46x
Sheffield 61 1.24x
Oldham 60 1.00x
Brightside Bierlow 59 1.95x
Colne 59 10.70x
Ince In Makerfield 59 6.85x
Westleigh 56 13.32x
Windle 56 5.38x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 55 3.82x
Hindley 55 6.97x
Ashton In Makerfield 54 10.24x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 53 1.96x
Bingley 53 5.38x
Nottingham St Mary 53 0.97x
Trowbridge 51 8.36x
Willenhall 51 5.17x
Kensington London 50 0.58x
Camberwell 48 0.48x
Portsea 48 0.77x
Radford 48 4.49x
Clitheroe 47 8.63x
Higher Booths 47 14.08x
Tottington Lower End 47 5.34x
Hammersmith London 46 1.20x
Haydock 46 14.42x
Kingswinford 46 2.41x
West Bromwich 46 1.53x
Ecclesall Bierlow 44 1.40x
Nether Hallam 43 2.06x
Newington 43 0.75x
Turton 43 14.19x
Warrington 43 1.96x
Brighton 41 0.77x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 41 0.49x
Pendleton In Salford 41 1.86x
Halliwell 40 5.94x
Hunslet 40 1.66x
Manningham 40 2.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,160
Elizabeth 666
Sarah 528
Ann 336
Jane 313
Alice 305
Margaret 276
Ellen 267
Hannah 222
Annie 204
Eliza 203
Martha 196
Emma 189
Emily 122
Maria 89
Louisa 86
Harriet 85
Fanny 79
Ada 78
Edith 74
Charlotte 73
Florence 68
Clara 64
Isabella 63
Catherine 62
Esther 56
Lucy 53
Agnes 50
Harriett 49
Nancy 48
Amelia 46
Frances 45
Kate 43
Anne 42
Caroline 42
Betsy 35
Eleanor 33
Elizth. 31
Jessie 31
Susan 31
Susannah 31
Bertha 29
Grace 28
Rebecca 28
Amy 25
Rose 25
Gertrude 24
Anna 23
Matilda 23
Sophia 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 980
William 886
James 554
Thomas 554
George 440
Henry 315
Joseph 302
Charles 246
Robert 235
Richard 180
Edward 152
Samuel 136
Alfred 133
Arthur 129
Walter 94
Frederick 90
Albert 88
Harry 73
Frank 63
Herbert 63
David 57
Wm. 51
Peter 50
Edwin 49
Ernest 44
Fred 43
Benjamin 38
Thos. 33
Ralph 29
Francis 28
Isaac 27
Andrew 19
Edmund 19
Geo. 19
Tom 19
Christopher 18
Daniel 18
Fredrick 18
Job 18
Stephen 17
Adam 16
Matthew 16
Jno. 14
Mark 14
Alexander 13
Eli 12
Jonathan 12
Mathew 12
Percy 12
Robt. 12

FAQ

Knowles surname: questions and answers

How common was the Knowles surname in 1881?

In 1881, 15,989 people were recorded with the Knowles surname. That placed it at #247 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Knowles surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 19,223 in 2016. That gives Knowles a modern rank of #311.

What does the Knowles surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "knoll" or "hillock."

What does the Knowles map show?

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