Knox
Knox was the 196th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,836 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 62 places. More babies were named Knox in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning round hill (Scottish) · Scottish Gaelic, Old English
Say it NAHKS /nɑks/
- Rank in 2025
- #196 boys, up 42 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,836boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20221,902 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,382babies recorded
What does the name Knox mean?
Knox is a Scottish surname from a place name, from Scottish Gaelic cnoc or Old English cnocc, 'a small round hill'; Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree. Wikipedia notes that use of Knox as a boy's first name rose after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave it to their son in 2008. Wikipedia notes that it is used as both a surname and a place name, and that as a first name it is mainly given to boys, with Knoxx as an occasional spelling.
cnoc (Scottish Gaelic, “round hill”)cnocc (Old English, “hillock”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Knoxx.
See also: Scottish names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Knox', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Knox (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Knox popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 240 since 2011, 13 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #196 | 1,836 |
| 2020 | #238 | 1,530 |
| 2010 | #459 | 579 |
| 2000 | #3,712 | 22 |
| 1990 | #6,842 | 7 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | #3,689 | 8 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | #2,507 | 10 |
| 1940 | #1,852 | 15 |
| 1930 | #2,241 | 13 |
| 1920 | #2,096 | 16 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | #1,006 | 8 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Knox, counting every spelling?
Knox is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #206 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #196 for Knox on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,906 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox | 1,836 | #196 | 8,964 |
| Knoxx | 70 | #2,099 | 279 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Knox?
1,836 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Knox (0.51 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Knox born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Knox.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Knox?
About 23,400 people born in the US named Knox are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 11. That makes Knox a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Knox by state
How common Knox was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in South Dakota (4.0×), Nebraska (3.7×), North Dakota (3.6×), Wyoming (3.5×), Montana (3.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, New Jersey, District of Columbia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Knox: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Knox, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Knox · Sibling names for Knox
Questions about the name Knox
What does Knox mean?
Knox means “round hill (Scottish)” (Scottish Gaelic, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Knox?
Knox was the 196th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 1,836 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 62 places. More babies were named Knox in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Knox a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Knox in the US.
Where is Knox most popular?
In 2021–2025, Knox was most common in South Dakota (4.19 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nebraska and North Dakota.