Explore the Family Name Knowles
The meaning of Knowles
1. English: topographic name from Middle English knol(le) ‘knoll, hilltop’ (Old English cnoll) or from any of the many places (some lost) named with this word, for example Knowle (Devon, Dorset, Lancashire, Somerset, Warwickshire, and Yorkshire) and Knole (Kent, Sussex). 2. Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Tnúthghail (see Newell). 3. English: variant of Noel, often, with genitival or post-medieval excrescent -s.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Knowles in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Knowles has seen a slight decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 1,174th most popular, but by 2010, its ranking had dipped slightly to 1,239th, marking a 5.54% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Knowles surname increased by 3.94% during the same period, rising from 27,380 to 28,460. The proportion per 100,000 also saw a minor decrease of 4.93%, moving from 10.15 in 2000 to 9.65 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,174 | #1,239 | -5.54% |
| Count | 27,380 | 28,460 | 3.94% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.15 | 9.65 | -4.93% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Knowles
When it comes to ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting changes between 2000 and 2010 for individuals with the surname Knowles. In 2000, 83.65% identified as White, which dropped slightly to 81.01% in 2010. Those identifying as Black showed an increase from 12.18% to 13.19%. There was also a notable increase among those identifying as Hispanic, going from 1.79% to 2.73%, which is a substantial 52.51% change. Similarly, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories both saw increases of 30.23% and 28.26% respectively. Lastly, those who identified with two or more races increased from 1.49% to 1.91%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.65% | 81.01% | -3.16% |
| Black | 12.18% | 13.19% | 8.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.79% | 2.73% | 52.51% |
| Two or More Races | 1.49% | 1.91% | 28.19% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.46% | 0.59% | 28.26% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.56% | 30.23% |
Knowles 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 Knowles is British & Irish, which comprises 55.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (20.0%) and Scandinavian (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 55.7% |
| French & German | 20.0% |
| Scandinavian | 4.3% |
| Other | 20.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Knowles
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 Knowles have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 84.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.20% |
What Knowles 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 Knowles is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-S660 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hughes, Patterson, Paterson, Shaw, Morris, Thompson, Neal, Kelly, Thomson, Kelley.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Knowles surname are: H1, H, V. 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 Knowles 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.
"Knowles" Surname 37.8%
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.
"Knowles" Surname 28.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Knowles" Surname 23.6%
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.
"Knowles" Surname 16.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Knowles?
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 Knowles are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition