2000
#13,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Kneeland
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "kneel land," likely referring to low-lying land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,483 Americans carry the last name Kneeland. That puts it at #13,447 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,040 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kneeland surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,040
Census rank
#13,447
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,165 bearers of the surname Kneeland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13447th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kneeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kneeland
The surname Kneeland originated in England, specifically in the region of Gloucestershire, during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "cnu" meaning "hill" and "land" meaning "land" or "territory," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname likely resided on or near a hilltop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kneeland can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions a family residing in the village of Kneland, which is believed to be the ancestral home of the Kneeland surname.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where it was spelled "Knelande" and "Knelond." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named William Kneeland (1320-1389) was recorded as serving as a member of the King's Council under Edward III. His son, John Kneeland (1355-1423), was a prominent landowner and served as a knight during the Hundred Years' War.
The surname Kneeland also has ties to several place names in England, such as Kneeland Green and Kneeland Farm, both located in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the influence and landholdings of the Kneeland family in that region.
Other notable individuals bearing the Kneeland surname include:
1. Thomas Kneeland (1637-1696), an early English settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of the town of Malden.
2. Abner Kneeland (1774-1844), an American theologian, educator, and advocate of free thought, who was famously prosecuted for blasphemy in 1838.
3. Samuel Kneeland (1698-1769), a prominent Boston printer and publisher, known for his work on the first notable English-language Bible printed in British North America.
4. Sir John Kneeland (1560-1623), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
5. Ebenezer Kneeland (1801-1870), an American politician and businessman who served as the 24th Mayor of Boston from 1858 to 1860.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kneeland
Among Census respondents with the surname Kneeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kneeland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kneeland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 1,801
- Black or African American8.0% · 173
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 85
- Two or more races3.3% · 71
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kneeland
Kneeland appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,236
+85 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 506 places
2020
#13,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,165
-71 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Up 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,058 | 2,151 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,564 | 2,236 | 0.76 | +85 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 506 places |
| 2020 | #13,447 | 2,165 | 0.72 | -71 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 117 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kneeland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,564 | #13,447 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,236 | 2,165 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.72 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kneeland bearers went from 2,236 to 2,165 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,564 to #13,447.
FAQ
Kneeland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kneeland?
Name Census estimates that about 2,483 living Americans carry the surname Kneeland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,040 residents.
How common is Kneeland?
Kneeland ranks #13,447 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,165 people with the surname Kneeland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,483), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Kneeland.
Has Kneeland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kneeland went from 2,236 recorded bearers to 2,165. That is a decrease of 71 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,564 to #13,447.
What does the Census say about the background of Kneeland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kneeland, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kneeland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (1,801 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kneeland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (8.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kneeland (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kneeland mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "kneel land," likely referring to low-lying land. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kneeland (0.72 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Kneeland?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.