Explore the Family Name Knisely
The meaning of Knisely
Variant of Knisley, a surname of Swiss German origin. History: Most, if not all, of the Kniselys trace their origin to Nicholas E. Knisely, born 1706 in Bern canton, Switzerland, died 1781 in York County, PA. He came with his family to PA from Germany, where he had lived for several decades and where his children were born. He was of the same ancestry as Antonius Knüsli, the progenitor of the Knisleys (see Knisley).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Knisely in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Knisely has experienced a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 15,699th most popular surname, but by 2010 it had dropped slightly to rank 15,763rd. Despite the decrease in ranking, the number of people with this surname increased from 1,709 in 2000 to 1,849 in 2010, an increase of 8.19 percent. The proportion per 100,000 people remained consistent at 0.63 throughout the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,699 | #15,763 | -0.41% |
| Count | 1,709 | 1,849 | 8.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.63 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Knisely
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Knisely also saw changes during the same period, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (97.78%), a number that decreased slightly to 96.70% by 2010. Over this time period, the percentage of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander more than doubled, from 0.47% to 0.81%. Similarly, those identifying as Hispanic increased significantly from 0.53% to 1.41%. The percentage of people with the Knisely surname identifying as two or more races remained relatively stable, showing a minor decrease from 0.88% to 0.87%, while the proportions identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native were reported as zero for both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.78% | 96.7% | -1.1% |
| Hispanic | 0.53% | 1.41% | 166.04% |
| Two or More Races | 0.88% | 0.87% | -1.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.81% | 72.34% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |