# Knight (surname)

Knight is an English surname.

## Geographical distribution

The name is found in many countries. In 2014, it was ranked 88th in England and 206th in the United States.

## Notable people

* A
* B
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* J
* K
* L
* M
* N
* P
* Q
* R
* S
* T
* V
* W
* Z

## A

* Alan Knight (disambiguation), multiple people
* Alanna Knight (1923–2020), British writer
* Albert Knight (cricketer), English professional cricketer
* Albert Knight (diver) (1900–1964), British diver
* Albert Knight (politician) (1817 – after 1881), merchant and political figure in Quebec
* Albion Knight, Jr., American politician and Anglican bishop
* Amanda Knight, makeup artist
* Amy Knight (born 1946), American historian
* Andrew Knight (journalist) (born 1939), English journalist, editor, and director of News Corporation
* Andrew Knight (politician) (1813–1904), politician in colonial Victoria, Australia
* Andrew Knight (writer) (born 1953), Australian TV writer and producer
* Anne Knight (1786–1862), British-born author, social reformer and pioneer of feminism
* Anne Knight (children's writer) (1792–1860), British children's writer and educationalist
* Anne Knight, pseudonym of American author Rhondi A. Vilott Salsitz
* Arthur Knight (disambiguation), multiple people
* Ava Knight, American boxer
* Awsten Knight, American singer and musician, member of Waterparks

## B

* Barry Knight (cricketer), English cricketer
* Barry Knight (footballer) (born 1945), Australian rules footballer
* Barry Knight (politician) (born 1954), American politician
* Barry Knight (referee) (born 1960), English football referee
* Benjamin Knight (disambiguation), several people, includes Ben Knight
* Beverley Knight, English R&B artist
* Billy Knight (born 1952), American basketball player and executive
* Billy Knight (basketball, born 1979) (1979–2018), American basketball player
* Billy Knight (tennis) (born 1935), British tennis player
* Bob Knight (1940–2023), American basketball player and coach
* Bobbie Knight, American businessperson, academic administrator, college president
* Brevin Knight, American basketball player
* Brandon Knight (disambiguation), several people

## C

* Charles Knight (engraver), English engraver
* Charles Knight (publisher) (1791–1873), English publisher and author
* Charles F. Knight, American chairman of Emerson Electric
* Charles Landon Knight (1867–1933), American lawyer and newspaper publisher
* Charles Parsons Knight (1829–1897), English painter
* Charles R. Knight, American dinosaur artist
* Charles Yale Knight, American engineer and inventor of the Knight engine
* Christopher Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Curtis Knight, American musical artist and band leader

## D

* David Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Dennis Knight (born 1968), American professional wrestler best known as Mideon
* Dick Knight (businessman), British advertising executive
* Dick Knight (golfer) (1929–1991), American golfer
* Dick Knight (tennis) (born 1948), American tennis player
* Donald Knight (disambiguation), several people, including Don Knight
* Douglas Knight (1921–2005), American businessman, educator and author
* Duerson Knight (1893–1983), American pilot
* Dusten Knight (born 1990), American baseball player

## E

* Cornelia Knight (1757–1837), English author
* Edward Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Elise Kellond-Knight (born 1990), Australian association football player
* Elizabeth Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Elliot Knight, English actor in Sinbad, 2012
* Eric Knight (1897–1943), English author and the creator of the fictional collie Lassie
* Esmond Knight (1906–1987), British character actor
* Etheridge Knight (1931–1991), African-American poet

## F

* Florence Knight, British chef and columnist
* Frank Knight (disambiguation), several people

## G

* G. Wilson Knight (1897–1985), English literary critic and academic
* Gary Knight (photographer), British photographer and architect
* Gary Knight (cricketer) (born 1950), Australian cricketer
* Gary Knight (rugby player) (born 1951), New Zealand rugby union player and amateur wrestler
* George R. Knight (born 1941), American Seventh-day Adventist historian
* Gillian Knight, English opera singer
* Gladys Knight, American R&B/soul singer and actress
* Glenn Knight (1944–2025), Singaporean lawyer
* Goodwin Knight, US politician and 31st California governor
* Greg Knight, British politician and MP

## H

* Hilary Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Holly Knight, American songwriter, vocalist and musician
* Howard Knight (politician), American politician from Ohio
* Howard A. Knight Jr., American country music promoter and record producer

## J

* Jabez C. Knight (1815–1900), 8th mayor of Providence, Rhode Island
* Jack Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jak Knight (1993–2022), American actor, comedian and writer
* James Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jason Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jean Knight, African-American soul/R&B/funk singer
* Jerry Knight, American R&B musician
* Jessie Knight (athlete) (born 1994), English athlete specialising in the 400 metres hurdles
* Jessie Knight (tattoo artist) (1904–1992), first prominent woman tattoo artist in the UK
* Jill Knight, British MP
* Jim Knight, British politician
* John Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jonathan Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jordan Knight, American pop singer
* Joseph Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Jules Knight, English actor and singer
* Julian Knight (murderer) (born 1968), Australian mass murderer; perpetrator of the Hoddle Street massacre
* Julian Knight (politician), British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament (MP) for Solihull since 2015

## K

* Katherine Knight, Australian murderer who skinned her partner and cooked his body parts
* Keith Knight (cartoonist), American cartoonist and musician
* Keith Knight (footballer), English footballer
* Kelly Knight Craft (born 1962), United States Ambassador to the United Nations and United States Ambassador to Canada

## L

* Laura Knight, British artist
* Leon Knight, English professional Football player
* Leonard Knight (1931–2014), American builder and architect, creator of Salvation Mountain
* Les U. Knight, founder of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement
* Laird A. Knight, Founder of 24-hour Mountain Bike Racing, Member Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
* Lon Knight (1853-1932), American baseball player and manager

## M

* Madge Knight, English artist
* Maggie Knight (c. 1857–1917), New Zealand actress in Australia
* Marcus Knight, American NFL football player
* Margaret E. Knight, American inventor of the paper-bag-making machine
* Margaret K. Knight (1903–1983), British psychologist and humanist
* Margaret Rose Knight (1918–2006), First Lady of North Carolina
* Marguerite Knight (1920–2004), British Special Operations Executive spy during World War II
* Mark Knight, Australian cartoonist
* Matthew Knight, Canadian actor
* Mel Knight (born 1944), Canadian politician
* Merald "Bubba" Knight, American R&B/soul singer
* Michael Knight, the protagonist from Knight Rider

## N

* Newton Knight, pro-Union rebel against the Confederacy in the U.S. Civil War
* Nick Knight (disambiguation), several people

## O

* Ora Willis Knight (1874–1913), American chemist and naturalist

## P

* Pedro Knight, Cuban musician and the husband of Celia Cruz
* Peter Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Phil Knight (born 1938), American businessman, co-founder and ex-CEO of Nike
* Phil Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Philip Knight (cricketer), English cricketer
* Phillip Knight (footballer), Australian footballer

## Q

* Quinton Knight, American football player
* Qwuantrezz Knight, American football player

## R

* R. J. B. Knight, British naval historian
* Ray Knight, American major league baseball player
* Reginald Knight (died 1969), Rhodesian politician and judge.
* Richard Payne Knight (1750–1824), English archæologist and philologist
* Robert Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Roger Knight, English cricketer, administrator, and schoolmaster
* Rosalind Knight (1933–2020), British actress

## S

* Samantha Knight (born 1997), Australian female murder victim
* Sammy Knight, American NFL football player
* Samuel Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Sarah Kemble Knight (1666–1727), American preacher and traveler
* Sharon Knight, American Celtic/Rock singer and front person of Pagan rock band Pandemonaeon
* Shirley Knight (1936–2020), American actress
* Spencer Knight, American ice hockey goaltender
* Sterling Knight, American actor and singer
* Steve Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Suge Knight, American hip hop music industry entrepreneur

## T

* T. R. Knight, American actor
* Ted Knight (1923–1986), American actor
* Ted Knight (politician) (1933–2020), British politician who led Lambeth Council in London
* Terry Knight, American rock music producer, promoter, singer, songwriter and radio personality
* Thomas Knight (disambiguation), several people
* Tonya Knight, American professional female body builder
* Travis Knight (basketball), American NBA basketball player
* Trevor Knight (born 1993), American football player
* Tuesday Knight, American actress

## V

* Valentine Knight, 17th-century British army officer, proponent of a grid-based street layout for fire-ravaged London
* Vivien Knight (1953–2009), British art historian and gallerist
* Vicky Knight, English film actress

## W

* Wayne Knight, American actor
* William Knight (martyr) (1572–1596), English Catholic martyr
* William Knight (royal servant), member of the court of Henry VIII
* William Angus Knight (1836–1916), British writer
* William Henry Knight (1823–1863,) English portrait and genre painter
* William J. Knight, American X-15 pilot and politician
* Wyatt Knight, American actor
* Wyndham Charles Knight KCIE (1863–1942), British general

## Z

* Zat Knight, English football player
* Zonovan Knight (born 2001), American football player