Show ContentsKnol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Knol comes from when the family resided in the area that was referred to as the knoll. This surname was originally derived from the Old English word cnolle which means one who lived at the top of the hill or the summit. 1 2 3

The name frequently found in its plural form (Knowles, Knolles, etc.) which "may be patronymic, as in Brooks, Styles, Holmes." 4

Early Origins of the Knol family

The surname Knol was first found in Devon where Robert de la Cnolle was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1185. Later in Kent, we found Theobald de Chnolle in 1242 and in Cambridgeshire, Thomas Knolle was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. William atte Knolle was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; Adam del Knol was found in the Assize Rolls for Staffordshire in 1318; and Christopher Knolles was a Freeman of York in 1407. 5

The Hundredorum Rolls on 1273 also show Roger de la Cnolle, Devon; John Cnolle, Dorset; and Robert de la Cnolle, Sussex and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include Cecilia de Knolle; Johannes Knoll; and Thomas de Knoll. 4

Early History of the Knol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knol research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1325, 1399, 1407, 1410, 1514, 1521, 1537, 1547, 1550, 1571, 1588, 1596, 1599, 1610, 1614, 1621, 1622, 1624, 1626, 1628, 1629, 1632, 1646, 1659, 1665, 1668, 1691 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Knol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knol Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Knol include Knollys, Knoll, Knolle, Knolles, Knowles, Knowlys and others.

Early Notables of the Knol family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • Sir Robert Knolles (c. 1325-1407), an important English knight of the Hundred Years' War, operating with the tacit support of the Crown, succeeded in taking the only two major French cities, other tha...
  • Sir Francis Knollys (1514-1596) was an English statesman, elder son of Robert Knollys (d. 1521.) He claims descent from Sir Thomas Knollys, Lord Mayor of London in 1399 and 1410. His second, but eldes...
  • Hanserd Knollys (1599-1691) was an English divine from Cawkwell, Lincolnshire. Sir Robert Knollys (1588-1659), was an English politician, Member of Parliament for Abingdon in 1614, Member of Parliamen...
  • Thomas Knolles (died 1537), was president of Magdalen College, Oxford. Born in Westgate, Oxford, he was a secular priest and rector of South Kirkby, Yorkshire. Richard Knolles (1550-1610), was an Engl...

Knol Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Knol is the 199th most popular surname with an estimated 6,226 people with that name. 6

Ireland Migration of the Knol family to Ireland

Some of the Knol family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Knol migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Knol Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Grietje Knol, aged 11, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 7
  • Hendrika Knol, aged 31, who arrived in New York, NY in 1848 7
  • Jan Knol, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 7
  • Lammeshina Knol, aged 8, who landed in New York, NY in 1848 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Knol (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Knol, American politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 93rd District, 1974 (Republican), 1976 (Republican), 1978 (Democratic primary) 8


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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