Explore the Family Name Kniffen
The meaning of Kniffen
Altered form of English Knifton, itself a variant of Kniveton: habitational name from Kniveton (Derbyshire), which is recorded as Cheniuetun in 1086, or Kneeton (Nottinghamshire), which is recorded as Kniveton in 1226. The placenames derive from the Old English personal name Cēngifu + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. Compare Kniffin and Sniffen. History: The progenitor of the Kniffens was George Knifton (alias Kniffen) from Kniveton, Derbyshire, England, who arrived in 1650 to CT and moved shortly thereafter to NY.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Kniffen in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kniffen has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 24,701 in popularity with a count of 947 individuals, equating to approximately 0.35 per 100,000 people. By 2010, however, the rank had slipped to 26,025 with only 942 individuals bearing the surname, which is about 0.32 per 100,000 people. This represents a modest reduction in both ranking (-5.36%) and count (-0.53%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,701 | #26,025 | -5.36% |
| Count | 947 | 942 | -0.53% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.35 | 0.32 | -8.57% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kniffen
When it comes to ethnic identity, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, a majority of individuals with the surname Kniffen identify as White, although there has been a slight decline from 95.99% in 2000 to 93.63% in 2010. There has been a notable increase in the number identifying as Hispanic, rising from 1.06% in 2000 to 2.44% in 2010, a change of over 130%. The percentage of those reporting two or more ethnicities increased by 50%, from 1.06% in 2000 to 1.59% in 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable, with a small increase from 1.48% to 1.80%. No individuals reported being of Asian/Pacific Islander or Black ethnicity during either census period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.99% | 93.63% | -2.46% |
| Hispanic | 1.06% | 2.44% | 130.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.48% | 1.8% | 21.62% |
| Two or More Races | 1.06% | 1.59% | 50% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |