This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a patronymic form of "Knowl". Knowl derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century byname "Cnoll" a small rounded hill, used to denote a short stout person. The surname came from the name of the first bearer's father. This is because European society has been patriarchal throughout history, and as a result the given name of the male head of the household has been handed on as a distinguishing name to successive generations. The surname is first recorded in the latter half of the 14th Century (see below), and can also be found as Knowles and Knowling.
Recordings of the surname from Yorkshire Church Registers include; Thomas, son of James Knowlson, who was christened on April 9th 1716 at Easingwold; and Thomas Knowlson who married Elizabeth Coward on July 27th 1738 at Fishlake. The Coat of Arms most associated with the family is red, on a silver chevron three green roses, barbed and seeded red, and on a silver canton a red fleur-de-lis, the Crest being out of a red ducal coronet a silver elephants head. The motto "Lento sed certo et recto gradu" translates as "With a slow but straight and sure step". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Alexander Nouelson, which was dated 1383, in the "Pardon Rolls", during the reign of King Richard 11, known as "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Discovering the historical roots of knowlson is deeply interesting, as it takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who established this lineage. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname knowlson is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation. Adhering to what we know about the way surnames originated, it is possible to offer a realistic explanation of the origins of knowlson.
Although surnames have a specific origin at a certain time and region of the planet, many of them have spread far and wide across the world for various reasons, as is the case with the surname knowlson. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname knowlson provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The historical chronicle of knowlson is based on a striking series of events that were led by those who have carried this surname throughout history. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname knowlson, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of knowlson developed. In the following lines, you will find everything we have been able to gather about the surname knowlson.
We suggest that if you want to learn more about the surname knowlson, try to locate it through the bibliographic sources we suggest. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about knowlson and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
It's more than likely that there have been some distinguished knowlsons throughout human history. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname knowlson were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. If you or someone you know bears the surname knowlson, you could potentially build illustrious lineages through your efforts and virtues. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname knowlson who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
Thanks to a significant bibliographic review, we have so far compiled information on the heraldry, history, and genealogy of knowlson. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of knowlson are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation. Accessing the archives of the town or towns where your ancestors were born and lived is, of course, a good way to trace the origins of knowlson.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of knowlson, and at the same time, of surnames in general.