Boy name · Old English
Knox
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: round hillKnox is a boy's name that comes from Old English and means "round hill". It is used in English and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Round hill
- Origin
- Old English
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #196 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Knox
As a boy's name, Knox comes from Old English and means "round hill". It is used in English and Scottish.
Knox is also a surname: the 782nd most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 43,026 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Knox on our nature names list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Knox on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Knox on 5 lists.
“Scottish surname meaning round hill, short and rock solid”
From Boy dog names, strong male dog names
“Round hill; Scottish Gaelic. Bold Scottish surname”
From Boy middle names, nature middle names for boys
“Scottish, from Gaelic cnoc, a round hill”
From Cool last names, cool last names
“Strong and solid, like the famous fort”
From Firefighter dog names, brave and strong fire dog names
“Round hill; Scottish Gaelic cnoc, via a Scots surname”
From Strong boy names, strong-sounding modern boy names
How popular is Knox?
- US rank in 2025
- #196
- 1,836 babies, 1,075 per million boys
- Best rank
- #196 in 2025
- Most babies: 1,902 in 2022
- Babies since 1881
- At least 24,142
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 14 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4 per million |
| 1900s | 15 per million |
| 1910s | 17 per million |
| 1920s | 16 per million |
| 1930s | 9 per million |
| 1940s | 7 per million |
| 1950s | 5 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 1 per million |
| 1980s | 2 per million |
| 1990s | 7 per million |
| 2000s | 38 per million |
| 2010s | 641 per million |
| 2020s | 1,013 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #245 | #233 | #219 | #241 | #238 | #220 | #199 | #208 | #209 | #196 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Knox
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- ArloMeaning uncertain; perhaps from Spenser's Arlo Hill (English, boy)
- BrandonBroom-covered hill (Old English, boy)
- BrynA hill (Welsh, boy)
- CadeFrom a surname from an Old English nickname meaning round (Old English, boy)
- HarlowArmy hill or rock hill (Old English, girl)
- HaydenHay valley or hay hill (Old English, unisex)
- KapitolinaOf the Capitoline Hill in Rome (Latin, girl)
- LandonLong hill (Old English, boy)
- LyndonLinden tree hill (Old English, boy)
- MerveName of a hill in Mecca (Arabic, girl)
Middle names for Knox
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Old English
- EdgarWealthy spear (Old English, boy)
- AlfredElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- StormTempest (Old English, unisex)
- AlfredoElf counsel (Old English, boy)
- EduardoRich guardian (Old English, boy)
- GrahamFrom a surname from the place name Grantham, probably gravelly homestead (Old English, boy)
- HarperHarp player (Old English, unisex)
- LindenLime tree (Old English, unisex)
- LindsayLincoln island (Old English, unisex)
Knox: common questions
What does the name Knox mean?
Knox comes from Old English and means "round hill".
Is Knox a boy or girl name?
Knox is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 13 girls and 1,836 boys in the US were named Knox, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Knox come from?
Knox comes from Old English and means "round hill". Today it is used in English and Scottish.
How popular is the name Knox?
Knox ranked #196 in the US in 2025, with 1,836 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Knox?
Names spelled like Knox include Kanoa, Knut and Koa.
What middle names go with Knox?
Middle names that flow well with Knox include Alistair, Augustus, Dennis, Frederick and Gideon. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.

