Knox: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Old English : From the hills

What does Knox mean and stand for?

The name Knox is of Old English and Scottish origin and means "from the hills." It was originally a surname adopted from the name of places.

Syllables: 1

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Scottish, northern English, and northern Irish : from a genitive or plural form of Old English cnocc ‘round-topped hill’, hence a topographic name for someone who lived on a hilltop, or a habitational name from one of the places in Scotland and northern England named with this element, now spelled Knock, in particular one in Renfrewshire.
The surname is also borne by eastern Ashkenazic Jews as an Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames.

Famous people who gave their babies this name

Angelina Jolie

Brad Pitt

Dierks Bentley

What Does the Name Knox Mean?

The name Knox was originally a surname that dates as far back as the thirteenth century. It is Scottish and means "round hill."

How Popular is the Name Knox?

Knox is the number 221 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. After reappearing on the charts in 2009, Knox has been increasing a few ranks each year.

However, it is the 6th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

Popularity of the Name Knox in the United States

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Knox was at its peak popularity in June 2018.

Knox was searched for most often in the following states:

Tennessee
Kentucky
Maine
Indiana
Ohio

Famous People Named Knox and Knox in Pop Culture

An old surname, Knox regained popularity in 2009 after Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt chose the name for one of their sons. Celebrities Johanna Bennet and Matthew Followill, Jack Swagger, Dierks Bentley and Cassidy Black, and Amanda Righetti and Jordan Alan later followed suit, choosing the name for their sons. While there aren't many notable namesakes with Knox as a given name, it was the middle name of the 11th US President: James Knox Polk. As the name climbs the SSA ranks, Knox has also appeared in more pop culture, with characters sharing this name in The Dead Poet's Society, Angel, and The Big Lebowski.