Knox is a primarily masculine given name, a transferred use of a Scottish
surname and place name from the
Scots Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well a ...
"''cnoc''" or
Old English ''cnocc'', referring to a small
hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit.
Terminology
The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not as ...
with a round top.
Usage
The name increased in usage after
Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
and
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
used it for their son in 2008. The name has been among the one thousand most popular names for boys in the United States since 2009 and among the top 250 names for American boys since 2015. It has also been in occasional use for girls in that country. According to
United States Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability and survivor benefits. To qualify for ...
statistics, 23 newborn American girls and 1,718 newborn American boys were named Knox in 2021. Variants of the name that add the modern
suffix ''ley'' such as Knoxley are also in use for both boys and girls in the United States. Knoxlee and Knoxleigh, also adding the fashionable modern American ''lee'' or ''leigh''
suffix and sound pattern, are also in use in the United States for girls. Variant spellings, adding a fashionable extra
x, such as Knoxx are in use. Also in use for American boys are elaborations such as Knoxson and Knoxton and Knoxtyn. It also has associations in the United States with
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold r ...
.
Notable people
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Knox (musician)
Knox (born Ian Milroy Carnochan, 4 September 1945) also known as I.M. Carnarchan is a British musician and founding member of the seminal punk band the Vibrators.
Biography
Born in London, he spent his formative years in Cricklewood, (North ...
, stage name of Ian Milroy Carnochan, born 1945, British musician and founding member of the seminal punk band the Vibrators.
*
Knox Chandler
Knox Chandler is an American musician known primarily as a guitarist, though he also plays cello, keyboards and other instruments. He has worked extensively as a session musician. In the early to mid-1970s, Chandler attended the Hammonasset Schoo ...
, American session guitarist and cellist.
*
Knox Martin
Knox Martin (February 12, 1923 – May 15, 2022) was an American painter, sculptor, and muralist.
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, he studied at the Art Students League of New York from 1946 until 1950. He was one of the leading members of the N ...
(1923-2022), American painter, sculptor, and muralist.
See also
*
Knox (surname)
Notes
{{given name