Knox
Boy name · #196 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Knox? In official American birth records, Knox has been tracked continuously since 1881, giving it 144 years of documented American history.
Knox is currently the #196 boy name in the United States — 1,836 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #258, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 980 boys born in 2025 was named Knox.
Babies named Knox per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 144-year story
Knox first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 8 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 1,902 babies and a rank of #199. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Knox against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Knox in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Knox is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Knox is most common
Geography matters for names, and Knox is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Knox is most common in NE (4.5 per 1,000), ND (4.2 per 1,000), MT (4 per 1,000), SD (3.4 per 1,000), ID (3.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Knox is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Knox
Statistically, parents drawn to Knox tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lennox, Kash, Maddox, Kyrie, and Kayson.
LennoxKashMaddoxKyrieKaysonNashRhettFinn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Knox | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,836 | #196 |
| 2024 | 1,706 | #209 |
| 2023 | 1,783 | #208 |
| 2022 | 1,902 | #199 |
| 2021 | 1,737 | #220 |
| 2020 | 1,530 | #238 |
| 2019 | 1,563 | #241 |
| 2018 | 1,707 | #219 |
| 2017 | 1,640 | #233 |
| 2016 | 1,539 | #245 |
| 2015 | 1,403 | #258 |
| 2014 | 1,244 | #286 |
| 2013 | 928 | #344 |
| 2012 | 822 | #367 |
| 2011 | 630 | #434 |
| 2010 | 579 | #459 |
| 2009 | 341 | #704 |
| 2008 | 93 | #1655 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2185 |
| 2006 | 60 | #2150 |
| 2005 | 48 | #2399 |
| 2004 | 50 | #2283 |
| 2003 | 33 | #2922 |
| 2002 | 25 | #3450 |
| 2001 | 20 | #3974 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Knox?
In official American birth records, the name Knox first appeared in 1881 (over 144 years ago), when 8 newborn boys received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Knox a popular boy name?
Knox ranked #196 among boys in 2025 with 1,836 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #258.
When was the name Knox most popular?
Knox peaked in 2022, when 1,902 American boys received the name (ranked #199 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Knox?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 980 newborn American boys was named Knox. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.