Knuth
A surname of Germanic origin, likely from an old nickname or personal-name root related to a knot, lump, or knob.
The #8,415 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 78,621 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally connected with old Germanic forms built on the root knut-/knud-, which in medieval usage could refer to a knot, lump, or rounded swelling. The cited sources place it alongside related surnames such as Knott, Knotz, Knus, Knaus, and Knüttel, suggesting a nickname-style origin rather than a place name. It may also be linked more distantly to the old personal name Knut/Cnut in Scandinavian and Germanic traditions, though the excerpted sources lean more toward a descriptive family of forms.
History
The surname appears in German-speaking and Low German contexts and is attested in historical surname lists from the 19th century as part of a cluster of similar kn- names. In modern times it is best known internationally through the computer scientist Donald Knuth, whose surname reflects this older Germanic surname tradition. American bearers are likely descended from German or northern European immigrants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Historical surname writers grouped Knuth with a whole family of compact, kn- beginning names that they thought shared an old “knob/knot” idea.
From the historical record
“N.-Fr. chatioine (a canon) Cannot. FI. Canoodt ; Fr. Carnot; N. Kniitr ; D. Knud, Knuth ; p.n. See Nutt Cant. See Cannot and Gaunt Canter. N.-Fr. Cantor; a p.n”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)