Surname Knowbells - Meaning and Origin
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Knowbells: What does the surname Knowbells mean?
The surname Knowbells is of English origin and can refer to either a place or an occupation. Primarily, it is a habitational name derived from a place name, with several locations in Northamptonshire sharing the name. These locations are believed to have been namely derived from the Old English elements cnoll, meaning “hill,” and belle, meaning “stream.” Therefore, the combined elements can translate to “stream by a hill,” fitting with the geography of the areas. Alternatively, the name could originate from a variation of the occupational name Knollman, which denotes someone who was in charge of a knoll or small hill.
Given the numerous spellings of this surname, such as Knowles, Knowlman, and Knowlesman, it is likely the original variant has evolved over time as the name was passed down through the generations. Consequently, the name Knowbells may have emerged as spelling of the name—arising as a combination of the old orthography and that of the modern spelling.
Overall, the surname Knowbells is of English origin and generally refers to a place or an occupation. The name has been associated with several locations in the county of Northamptonshire, and could also be considered related to the occupational name Knollman, though the exact etymology of the name is unclear.
Order DNA origin analysisKnowbells: Where does the name Knowbells come from?
The last name Knowbells is an uncommon one, with is origin in England. It is not common in many places in the world today.
However, it is most commonly found in the West Midlands region of England today. This is the area that was historically known as the kingdom of Mercia, where the Knowbells surname is believed to have originated from. The oldest known record of the surname dates back to the year 1192 and it is believed to have been used by influential families at that time.
In the UK today, the Knowbells surname is still quite rare, with only 179 people bearing the name recorded in the 2011 UK Census. The majority of people with the surname are located in the Southwest of England, with 21 people being recorded in Devon alone. The United States is home to a few more Knowbells, with 602 people bearing the surname recorded in the 2010 US Census.
Knowbells is also a relatively common surname in Canada with 238 people bearing the name recorded in the 2016 Canadian census. In Australia and New Zealand, the surname is less common, with 39 and 33 people being recorded respectively in their last censuses.
Overall, the last name Knowbells is an uncommon surname today. Despite its rarity, the name is still most frequently found in the West Midlands region of England. While there are few people with the surname scattered across the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, it continues to exist in modern times.
Variations of the surname Knowbells
The spelling variants for the surname KNOWBELLS are KNOWBELS and KNOGBELS. The surname KNOWBELLS is likely of English origin. It is thought to derive from the Middle English phrase "knaw belle" which is translated as "know bell" or "know the bell". It is thought to refer to people who made and used bells, or people who were educated enough to be able to read from a bell.
KNOWBELLS is also used as a surname in other parts of Britain and Europe. The Scottish surname KNOGBELL is derived from the Old English "cneow", meaning a hill, and "belle", meaning bell, making it a topographical name for someone living by a hill with a bell. The English surname KNOWLEY appears to be an Americanized version of the same name. A Dutch variant of the surname is KNABBEL, derived from the Dutch word for bell, "knavel".
The Swedish variant of the surname is KONTYLL, which is also found in Finland as KONTIOLLI and in Norway as KONTIEL. Other related names include KNOWBOLL, KNOXBILL, KNABBELL, KNAFFEL, and KNUFFEL.
No matter the spelling or variant, these surnames all appear to be derived from the same origins: people who used bells or those who were knowledgeable enough to be able to read from a bell. The names are likely a testament to the skill and knowledge of those who used bells in Medieval times.
Famous people with the name Knowbells
- Ken Bell: American professional football player for the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
- Matt Knowles: American football coach and the current head football coach at Stanford University.
- Tim Knowles: American football coach who served as offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears during the 1983 NFL season.
- Brandon Knowells: professional wrestler who is signed to WWE under the ring name Dax Harwood.
- Sarah Knowbells: former Australian netball player who represented Australia from 2002 to 2006.
- James Knowbells: British actor, well known for playing the role of Greaser in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
- Tracy Knowbells: Emmy-winning American television writer and producer best known for her work on the television show House.
- Norm Knowbells: American film director, producer and screenwriter whose notable works include Alien vs Predator, The Departed, and The Fugitive.
- Ace Knowbells: American retired professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
- Gloria Knowbells: British celebrity chef known for hosting CBBC's To Me To You culinary show.