Explore the Family Name Knapp
The meaning of Knapp
1. German: occupational or status name from the German word Knapp(e), a variant of Knabe ‘young unmarried man’. In the 15th century this spelling acquired the separate, specialized meanings ‘servant, apprentice’, and ‘miner’. This surname is also found elsewhere in central Europe, e.g. in Czechia and Slovakia, where it is more commonly spelled Knap (compare 3 below). 2. German: in Franconia, a nickname for a dexterous or skillful person, of the same ultimate origin as 1 above. 3. Germanized or Americanized form of Polish, Czech, Slovak, Rusyn, and Slovenian Knap, a surname of ultimately German origin (see 1 above). 4. English: nickname from Middle English knape, knappe ‘boy, youth; servant’, also ‘rogue, rascal’ (Old English cnapa). Compare Nave, with which it sometimes interchanges. 5. English: from Middle English knap(pe) ‘knob, hillock’ (Old English cnæpp ‘hilltop’). The name may be topographic, for someone who lived ‘(at the) hill top or hillock’, or toponymic, from a place so named, such as Knapp in Christchurch (Hampshire), Knapp in Woolfardisworthy (Devon), or Knapp Farm in Iping (Sussex). 6. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from the German adjective knapp ‘tight, scarce’, one of the surnames distributed at random to Jews by Austrian clerks.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Knapp in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Knapp" has experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In terms of rank, it dropped from the 760th most popular surname in 2000 to the 825th in 2010, a change of -8.55%. However, the actual count of people with the surname slightly increased by 1.22%, from 41,267 to 41,771. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people decreased by -7.45%, from 15.3 to 14.16.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #760 | #825 | -8.55% |
| Count | 41,267 | 41,771 | 1.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 15.3 | 14.16 | -7.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Knapp
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Knapp" also saw some changes between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest group, those identifying as White, decreased slightly from 95.90% to 94.71%. Meanwhile, the second-largest increase was seen among individuals who identified as Hispanic, with a rise of 49.34%, albeit they still comprised just 2.27% of all Knapps in 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander also saw a significant increase of 64.10%, even though their overall share remained low at 0.64%. Those identifying with two or more races saw a modest growth of 19.30%, reaching 1.36%. The proportion of individuals identifying as Black underwent a small increase of 5.45%, making up 0.58% of the total. Lastly, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Natives decreased by -12.00% to 0.44%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.9% | 94.71% | -1.24% |
| Hispanic | 1.52% | 2.27% | 49.34% |
| Two or More Races | 1.14% | 1.36% | 19.3% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.64% | 64.1% |
| Black | 0.55% | 0.58% | 5.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.44% | -12% |
Knapp ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Knapp is British & Irish, which comprises 45.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (30.7%) and Eastern European (6.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 45.6% |
| French & German | 30.7% |
| Eastern European | 6.1% |
| Other | 17.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Knapp
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Knapp have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.70% |
What Knapp haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Knapp is R-A431, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-A431 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Rucker, Mcclendon, Mclendon, Swann, Shipman, Warnock, Starr, Boyce, Richey, Barrera.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Knapp surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Knapp have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Knapp" Surname 37.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Knapp" Surname 23.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Knapp" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Knapp" Surname 18.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Knapp?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Knapp are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition