Knighten
An English surname most likely built from Knight, with a suffix that may have been added in later family usage or spelling development.
The #8,724 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 82,135 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Knighten is most likely a later English surname formed from the word knight, from Old English cniht, meaning a warrior or retainer and later a mounted noble servant. The final -en is probably a surname-forming or dialectal addition rather than a separate inherited meaning, and in some cases may reflect a variant spelling of a related name rather than a distinct medieval surname. As with many surnames of this type, the original sense would have been tied to a person associated with a knight, service, or knightly status.
History
The core surname Knight is old and widespread in England, and later American spellings sometimes developed extra endings such as -en under local pronunciation or clerical variation. Knighten is comparatively uncommon and is most often found in English-speaking countries, especially the United States. Because it is rare, its family history may include multiple independent spelling developments rather than one single origin point.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word knight started life in Old English as cniht, which originally meant something closer to a servant or youth than the romantic medieval image it later acquired.