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Kniess Family History

Kniess Surname Meaning

German: variant of Knies Compare Kniss.

Germanized form of Sorbian Kněz or Kniz ‘lord master’ also ‘priest’ (see Knies).

German: habitational name from a place in Mecklenburg of the cognate Slavic origin as 2 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Kniess family from?

You can see how Kniess families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kniess family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Kniess families were found in USA in 1920. In 1841 there was 1 Kniess family living in Fife. This was 100% of all the recorded Kniess's in Scotland. Fife had the highest population of Kniess families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kniess surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Kniess ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kniess. 30% of Kniess men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Kniess women worked as a Housework.

View Census Data for Kniess | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    30%
  • Truck Driver
    24%
  • Farmer
    18%
  • Partner Operator
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    100%

What Kniess family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Kniess. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kniess census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Kniess

Passenger Lists

There are 282 immigration records available for the last name Kniess. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kniess immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 495 military records available for the last name Kniess. For the veterans among your Kniess ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kniess military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kniess family history

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What is the average Kniess lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Kniess life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Kniess in 1958 was 53, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kniess

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Kniess ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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