Knox: Baby Name of the Day

The baby name Knox was launched by a celebrity couple, but quickly became a mainstream favorite.

Thanks to Kate for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME KNOX MEAN?

The Old English word cnocc meant hilltop or round-topped hill. 

Not surprisingly, it became a topographic name for anyone living near such a hill.

Whisper it down the alley a little more, and cnocc shortened to the Gaelic cnoc, and eventually place name Knock. The most famous one is located in Renfrewshire, located in Scotland on the River Clyde.

Accordingly, it’s a common Scottish surname, also heard in neighboring northern England.

In fact, it’s been a surname for centuries. There’s a Scottish family recorded as Knox as early as the thirteenth century. 

Sixteenth century Scottish Protestant reformer John Knox is one of the best known bearers of the name, but he’s far from the only one.

It’s a family name for actor Brad Pitt. His grandfather was Hal Knox Hillhouse – we’ll get back to that in a minute.

FORT KNOX

Then there’s Henry Knox, a military officer in the Revolutionary War, and later First Secretary of War. His family did, indeed, have Scottish roots.

A fort is named in his honor. You’ve almost certainly heard of it. It’s home to the United States Bullion Depository – gold, heaps of it, all stored in a state-of-the-art vault. Thieves do their best to crack the safe in countless movies, television shows, and cartoons. (In real life? Not so much. There’s never been a robbery of Fort Knox.)

The association adds something to the name. There’s a certain Americana vibe, but it also implies something of immense value.

Fort Knox is in Kentucky. Over in Tennessee, the city of Knoxville was also named for that same Henry Knox.

ONE MORE MEANING FOR KNOX

Drop the K, and Nox is the Roman goddess of the night, cousin to the Greek Nyx. It’s sometimes used in fiction, especially science fiction, but it remains quite rare as an actual given name.

Still, the baby name Knox might suggest the idea of night. After all, nox is the root of words like nocturnal and features in terms like equinox.

DEAD POET’S SOCIETY

So how did the baby name Knox transition from Scottish origin surname to stylish first name?

One possible starting point: 1989 hit movie Dead Poets Society. 

It’s a coming-of-age tale set at a (fictional) New England boarding school circa 1959. Robin Williams plays the inspirational teacher at the heart of the story. Several of the young actors who played the boys remain household names today, including Ethan Hawke.

Josh Charles, known most recently for his work on The Good Wife, played Knox Overstreet. He’s privileged and polished, and it’s easy to imagine parents hearing the character’s name and putting it on their list of possibilities.

Except it didn’t happen.

CELEBRITY BABY NAME

Instead, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were a wildly popular Hollywood couple in the early 2000s.

No question they were fearless namers. 

• First, Angelina adopted Maddox solo. (Brad later adopted him, too.) 
• Then the couple added Zahara, Shiloh, and Pax. 
• In 2008, they welcomed twins. Daughter Vivienne Marcheline’s middle name comes from Angelina’s mom. And Knox Leon’s first name comes from Brad’s uncle.

Their youngest son completes the pattern, with all of the boys’ names ending in x.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME KNOX?

2008 was the right moment for the baby name Knox.

In 2007, just 61 boys received the name. But one-syllable names like Gage, Chase, and Cole were popular. Knox fit right in.

By 2009, the popularity of the name Knox exploded, and the name debuted in the US Top 1000. 

As of 2023, the name ranks #208.

While it’s heard elsewhere in the English-speaking world, Knox is significantly more popular in the United States.

Choose the name for a son today, and chances are that no one will ask about the celebrity kid.

GOLDEN BOY

With deep roots, the surname Knox gracefully steps from the last name spot to the first. It feels like a modern staple.

Knox offers a cool sound and long history of use. I’d call it polished, but that X at the ending lends this name an edge. It’s one-part Felix, one-part Jax.

If you’re looking for a boy’s name that feels fresh and modern, but also very wearable, Knox might belong your short list.

What do you think of the baby name Knox?

First published on July 2, 2012, this post was revised on December 11, 2019 and again on April 1, 2025.