KNAGGS
Knaggs is a surname of English and Old Norse origin, and it has been associated with the British Isles since at least the sixteenth century.
The name derives from the Old Norse word knag, meaning a peg or a hook. In Middle English it was recorded as knagg, a term used for a hooked walking stick or a metal rod. The linguistic root suggests that bearers of the surname were at one time identified with a craft or activity involving hooks or pegs.
At the same time, Knaggs appears in the medieval English vocabulary as an adjective describing rugged hill tops or jagged rock outcrops. The medieval word knagg conveyed the idea of a pointed rock or crag, a meaning that has been noted in Yorkshire church registers from the mid‑sixteenth century. Variants such as Knagges and Knagg appear in the records of the time.
Early documentary evidence links the surname to individuals engaged in practical occupations. For example, a will proved to be that of a William Knagg was drafted in London in 1622, and a Thomas Knaggs was buried in Cambridgeshire in 1701. Such documents hint at a tradition of craftsmen or workers who might have used hooks or pegs, though the exact nature of their work is not detailed in the surviving records.
The first securely dated identification of the name is the christening of Elizabeth Knaggs on 20 July 1561 in Wintringham, Yorkshire. No earlier used or alternate spellings of the surname have been reliably attested prior to this date in surviving parish registers.
Within the United Kingdom the surname is concentrated in the northern counties, particularly Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Northumberland. A 1595 Northumberland record lists a Richard Knaggs, and a 1635 marriage record in St. Mary's Church, Shoreditch, London mentions a Lidia Knaggs. Instances of the surname in England extend to all counties, but the highest density remains in the north.
Outside the United Kingdom, the surname is relatively uncommon, with occurrences reported in Ireland, the United States and Australia. In the United States it is most often found in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, but overall the name remains rare on that continent.
Many spelling variants appear in historical documents, including Knag, Knagg, Knoggs, Naggs, Noggs and Knage. These variations are usually the result of regional pronunciation or the lack of standardised spelling in earlier centuries, rather than indicating distinct families.
According to contemporary demographic estimates, fewer than 1,500 people worldwide bear the surname Knaggs, making it a relatively uncommon family name in the modern era.
Typical given names associated with the Knaggs surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Keith
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Beverly
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Karen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Ruth
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Knaggs in...
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There are approximately 1,408 people named Knaggs in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,653rd most common surname in Britain. Around 22 in a million people in Britain are named Knaggs.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Knaggs
- Skelton Knaggs - Actor (1911 to 1955)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.