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.^[1]

Notable people

A

• Alan Knight (disambiguation), several 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
• 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
• 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, British 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
• 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, 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
• 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
• 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 (musician), New Zealand musician
• Phil Knight (born 1938), American businessman, co-founder and ex-CEO of Nike
• 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
• 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

• 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