Surname Knowlton - Meaning and Origin

My illuminating journey with iGENEA: Exploring the Viking Roots of the Knowlton Name

Discovering your familial roots with a surname like Knowlton can be an enlightening experience, stretching your understanding of self-far beyond your imagination. It's about going from seeing your surname as a simple label to understanding it as a symbol carrying centuries of history and significance.

S. Knowlton

Knowlton: What does the surname Knowlton mean?

The surname Knowlton is of English origin, deriving from a place-name in North East Lancashire. The name Knowlton can be broken down into two parts: 'Knowl' or 'Knoll', an Old English word meaning a small, round hill or mound, and 'ton', meaning a settlement or town. Therefore, the last name Knowlton can be translated to mean “settlement by the hill”. The earliest record of this surname dates back to the 12th century. It is a toponymic surname, which are derived from the name of a place or a geographical feature. These types of surnames were often given to individuals who lived near or by the geographical feature or place that the surname refers to. Therefore, people with the surname Knowlton would have likely originally lived in or near a place called Knowlton, or by a small, round hill.

Knowlton: Where does the name Knowlton come from?

The surname Knowlton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and stemmed from a place name. There are several villages named Knowlton in England. The name is derived from Old English elements "cnoll" which means "hill" and "tun" which translates to "farm" or "settlement." Hence, the surname Knowlton was typically given to someone who lived near a hilltop farm.

After the Norman Conquest of 1066, names of Norman origin were introduced into England, among them were some that were harmonically similar to existing English names. The name Knowlton was used interchangeably with the name Knolton, both having the same roots.

Today, the surname Knowlton is found predominantly in the United States, followed by Canada, and England. It is less common in other parts of the world. Notably, the Knowltons have been involved in many aspects of American history since the colonial period, appearing in records of military service, political leadership, and cultural development. The spread of the surname in North America is largely attributed to the great wave of migration from the UK to the New World from the 17th to the 20th century.

Variations of the surname Knowlton

The surname Knowlton is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is a locational surname derived from Knowlton in Kent, or Knowlton in Dorset, England. Variants of the surname could include phonetic spellings like Knoulton, Knoelton, or Knowlden, however, original documentation to support these versions is scarce.

There are not many clearly related surnames to Knowlton although according to several ancestry and genealogy sites, some potential surnames of similar geographic or historical origin could possibly include other English locational type surnames, meaning they too are derived from the names of places in England, like Norton, Bolton, Clayton, etc.

As with many surnames, the spelling of Knowlton would change over time due to factors like illiteracy, regional dialects, or immigration. The same family with the surname Knowlton could be listed with different spellings in census records or other official documentation.

For accurately tracing genealogy, it would be advisable to check common phonetic variants or misspellings, as well as locational surnames from the same regions of England.

Famous people with the name Knowlton

• Quentin Knowlton, a former member of the Idaho legislature
• Stanton Knowlton, a Civil War veteran
• Homer Knowlton, an American actor
• Rebecca Knowlton, a writer and poet
• Percy Knowlton, a politician and the first mayor of Norwood, Massachusetts
• Jess Knowlton, a Canadian curler
• Brooke Knowlton, a British-American actress
• LeRoy Knowlton, a former Chairman of the Republican Party of Brown County, Ohio
• Tess Knowlton, a Canadian ice dancer
• James Knowlton, an American balloonist
• William Knowlton, a Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
• Harry Knowlton, a 20th-century physicist
• Carla Knowlton, a former NBA referee
• Arthur Knowlton, a 19th-century Canadian lawyer
• Eben Knowlton, a friend of Archibald McLeod

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