Explore the Family Name Knabe
The meaning of Knabe
German: status name for a young man or a page, from Middle High German knabe. In aristocratic circles this term denoted a page or squire (a youth destined to become a knight), while among artisans it referred to a journeyman’s assistant or (as a short form of Lehrknabe) ‘apprentice’. In the 15th century a semantic split between Knabe and its variants Knape, Knapp(e) resulted in Knabe meaning ‘boy’ and Knapp(e) ‘servant, apprentice’, and ‘miner’ in modern German. Some characteristic forenames: German Erna, Gerhard, Helmut, Volker.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Knabe in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Knabe" has slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname slipped from 22,555 in 2000 to 23,135 in 2010, reflecting a change of -2.57%. However, the count of people with the Knabe surname increased by 3.67%, from 1,064 individuals in 2000 to 1,103 individuals in 2010. This is despite a slight reduction in the proportion per 100,000 people, which dropped by -5.13% from 0.39 to 0.37.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,555 | #23,135 | -2.57% |
| Count | 1,064 | 1,103 | 3.67% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.39 | 0.37 | -5.13% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Knabe
The Decennial U.S. Census data indicates a shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Knabe". The majority of individuals with this surname identify as White, however, there was a marginal decrease from 96.9% in 2000 to 95.19% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic showed a significant increase of 131.91%, although it still represents a small portion of the population with this surname at 2.18% in 2010. The data also reported an increase in Asian/Pacific Islander representation, though it remained less than one percent. The percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races marginally decreased by -3.55%. There were no recorded changes for Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native identifications.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.9% | 95.19% | -1.76% |
| Hispanic | 0.94% | 2.18% | 131.91% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.36% | -3.55% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.82% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |