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Boy name · Old English

Knox

Name meaning, origin and popularity

: round hill

Knox 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
1880s1900s1920s1940s1960s1980s2000s2020s
Babies per million US boys, by decade (the 2020s so far, to 2025). Highest in the 2020s, at 1,013 per million.
Babies named Knox per million US boys, by decade; highest in the 2020s
1880s14 per million
1890s4 per million
1900s15 per million
1910s17 per million
1920s16 per million
1930s9 per million
1940s7 per million
1950s5 per million
1960s2 per million
1970s1 per million
1980s2 per million
1990s7 per million
2000s38 per million
2010s641 per million
2020s1,013 per million
US rank by year
Year2016201720182019202020212022202320242025
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.

  • KanoaThe free one (Hawaiian, boy)
  • KnutA knot (Old Norse, boy)
  • KoaBrave, warrior (Hawaiian, boy)

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.

  • AlistairDefender of men (Greek, boy)
  • AugustusGreat, venerable (Latin, boy)
  • DennisOf Dionysus (Greek, boy)
  • FrederickPeaceful ruler (Germanic, boy)
  • GideonFeller, hewer (Hebrew, boy)
  • LeanderLion man (Greek, boy)
  • LucianLight (Latin, boy)
  • PeregrineTraveler, pilgrim (Latin, boy)

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.