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Knill Family History

Knill Name Meaning

English (Devon): topographic name for someone who lived by a knoll from Middle English knill ‘knoll hill hilltop’ (Old English cnyll(e)) or a habitational name from a place so named such as Knill (Herefordshire) and Kneela in Black Torrington (Devon); compare Knell . German and Swiss German: variant of Knell .

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


Similar surnames: Knell, Knoll, Krill, Kill, Nill, Knull, Kroll, Zill, Dill, Kiel

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Knill family from?

You can see how Knill families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Knill family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Knill families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 157 Knill families living in Devon. This was about 36% of all the recorded Knill's in United Kingdom. Devon had the highest population of Knill families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Knill 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 Knill ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Incapacitated and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Knill. 20% of Knill men worked as an Incapacitated and 78% of Knill women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Knill were Plumber and Private Means. .

View Census Data for Knill | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • Incapacitated
    20%
  • General Labourer
    20%
  • Builders Labourer
    15%
  • Plumber
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    78%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Household Duties
    4%
  • Private Means
    3%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Knill family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 8,000 census records available for the last name Knill. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Knill census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Knill

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Knill. 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 Knill immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 865 military records available for the last name Knill. For the veterans among your Knill ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Knill military records

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What is the average Knill lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Knill life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Knill in 1963 was 68, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Knill

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