Knowles () is an English surname of mixed Anglo-Saxon and Norse origins. It is a locality name meaning , a hill or summit, derived from Old English cnolle and Old Norse knollr and thus describes a person who lived at such a place.

It can also be an Anglicized version of the Irish name Ó Tnúthghail.

A

  • Albert Knowles, British trade union leader
  • Albert Knowles (footballer) (1871–1950), English footballer
  • Alison Knowles (1933–2025), American artist
  • Alison Knowles (rower) (born 1982), British rower
  • Angus Knowles-Cutler (born 1962), British politician
  • Anne Kelly Knowles (born 1957), American geographer
  • Arlene Modeste Knowles, American advocate for diversity in physics

B

  • Bernard Knowles (1900–1975), English film director
  • Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (born 1981), American R&B singer and actress
  • Barry Knowles (born 1965), Liverpool Football Club supporter

C

  • Cameron Knowles (born 1982), New Zealand footballer
  • Carl Knowles (1910–1981), American basketball player
  • Admiral of the White Sir Charles Knowles, 1st Baronet (1704–1777) (see Knowles Baronets)
  • Admiral of the Red Sir Charles Knowles, 2nd Baronet (1754–1831)
  • Chris Knowles (footballer), English footballer
  • Christopher Knowles (poet) (born 1959), American poet
  • Christopher Knowles (comics), American comic book artist and writer
  • Clayton Knowles, American correspondent
  • Conrad Knowles (1810–1844), Australian actor
  • Craig Knowles (born 1959), Australian politician
  • Cyril Knowles (1944–1991), English football player
  • Cyril Knowles (rugby league) (1915–1957), English rugby player, father of the above
  • Cyril J. Knowles (1905–1961), British cinematographer

D

  • Darold Knowles (born 1941), baseball player
  • David Knowles (1896–1974), English Benedictine monk
  • Davy Knowles (born 1987), British blues guitarist and singer
  • Dick Knowles (1917–2008), British politician
  • Durward Knowles (1917–2018), Bahamian sailor

E

  • Edward Knowles (Royal Navy officer) (1744 – c. 1761), British naval officer
  • Edward P. Knowles (1805–1881), American politician from Rhode Island
  • Eric Knowles (born 1953), British antiques expert

F

  • Frederick John Knowles (1895–1979), Scottish observer ace
  • Freeman T. Knowles (1846–1910), American politician
  • Felipe Knowles (born 2009), Brazilian swimmer

G

  • Genny Kim Knowles (born 2000), Canadian and South Korean ice hockey player
  • George Knowles (1882–1947), Australian public servant and lawyer
  • George Beauchamp Knowles (1790–1862), English botanist
  • Graeme Paul Knowles (born 1951), Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London
  • Guy Knowles (1879–1959) engineer, art collector and benefactor of museum collections

H

  • Harriet Knowles (fl. 1845), Australian actress
  • Harry Knowles (born 1971), online film critic
  • Herbert Knowles (poet) (1798–1817), English poet
  • Herbert Bain Knowles (1894–1975), United States Navy officer
  • Hiram Knowles (1834–1911), American judge from Montana
  • Horace G. Knowles (1863–1937), American attorney
  • Horace J Knowles (1884–1954), author and illustrator
  • Hugh S. Knowles (1904–1988), American acoustical engineer, inventor, and manufacturer

J

  • Jacob Knowles, American lobsterman and social media content creator
  • James Knowles (lexicographer) (1759–1840), Irish schoolteacher and lexicographer, father of James Sheridan Knowles
  • James Knowles, convicted of murdering Michael Donald in 1981
  • James Hinton Knowles (1856–1943), British Missionary to Kashmir
  • James Thomas Knowles (1831–1908) (1831–1908), British architect and literary editor
  • James Sheridan Knowles (1784–1862), Irish dramatist and actor
  • James Thomas Knowles (1806–1884), British architect
  • James Knowles (aviator) (1896–1971), American World War I pilot
  • Jeremy R. Knowles (1935–2008), American chemist
  • Jeremy Knowles (swimmer) (born 1981), Bahamian swimmer
  • Jesse Knowles (1919–2006), American businessman and politician
  • Jo-Anne Knowles (born 1971), English actress
  • John Evans Knowles (1914–2011), Canadian politician
  • John Knowles (1926–2001), American author
  • Julian Knowles (born 1965), Australian composer

K

  • Karen Knowles (born 1964), Australian singer and entertainer
  • Kevin Knowles (born 2003), American football player

L

  • Sir Lees Knowles, 1st Baronet (1857–1928), British barrister, historian, philanthropist and Conservative politician
  • Sir Leonard Joseph Knowles (1915–1999), first Chief Justice of The Bahamas
  • Linda Knowles (born 1946), former British high jumper

M

  • Mabel Knowles (1875–1949), British romance and children's writer
  • Malcolm Knowles (1913–1997), American theorist in adult education
  • Malik Knowles (born 2000), American football player
  • Mark Knowles (born 1971), professional Bahamian tennis player
  • Mark Knowles (born 1984), Australian field hockey player
  • Martin Knowles, English dubstep musician known as Emalkay
  • Mathew Knowles (born 1951), father of Beyoncé and Solange Knowles
  • Matilda Cullen Knowles (1864–1933), lichenologist
  • Matt Knowles (born 1974), American professional wrestler
  • Michael Knowles:
  • Michael Knowles (actor), English actor and scriptwriter, best known for his role as 'Captain Jonathan Ashwood', in the 1970s sitcom 'It Ain't Half Hot Mum'
  • Michael Knowles (political commentator) (born 1990), conservative political commentator on The Daily Wire
  • Michael Knowles (politician) (born 1942), British Conservative Member of Parliament for Nottingham East

N

  • Nick Knowles (born 1962), British television presenter

O

  • Oliver Knowles, instrumentalist for the music group Snow Ghosts

P

  • Patric Knowles (1911–1995), English actor
  • Paul John Knowles (1946–1974), American serial killer
  • Peter Knowles (born 1945), former English footballer

R

  • Ralph Knowles (1945–2016), American attorney
  • Richard Brinsley Knowles (1820–1882), British journalist
  • Richard George Knowles (1858–1919), Canadian-American comedian and singer, popular in British music halls
  • Robert E. Knowles (1925–1988), American politician
  • Ryan Knowles (born 1978), American actor and comedian

S

  • Sheena Knowles, Australian children's author
  • Solange Knowles (born 1986), pop/soul singer, actress, model (Beyoncé Knowles' younger sister)
  • Sonny Knowles (1932–2018), Irish singer
  • Stanley Knowles (1908–1997), Canadian politician
  • Stan Knowles (1931–2017), Australian politician
  • Sydney Knowles, British frogman in World War II
  • Sue Knowles (born 1951), retired Australian politician

T

  • Tina Knowles, American businesswoman, fashion designer, and mother of Beyoncé and Solange
  • Tony Knowles (chemist), former president of the British Columbia Institute of Technology
  • Tony Knowles (politician) (born 1943), American Democratic politician
  • Tony Knowles (snooker player) (born 1955), English professional snooker player

W

  • Warren P. Knowles (1903–1993), American lawyer and politician
  • William Charles Goddard Knowles (1908–1969), British businessman in Hong Kong
  • William David Knowles (1908–2000), Canadian politician
  • William Erskine Knowles (1872–1951), Canadian politician
  • William Standish Knowles (1917–2012), American chemist

See also

  • Knowles Baronets, two Baronetcies created in the Baronetage of Great Britain and the United Kingdom
  • Knollys (surname)
  • Knollys family
  • Knowle (disambiguation), includes list of people with surname Knowle
  • Knoll (surname)
  • Noll, surname
  • Noel (surname)
  • Nowell (surname)

References

de:Knowles

fr:Knowles

pt:Knowles