Knox
Boy name · #196 in 2025 · Uniqueness 41/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Knox scores 41 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Knox is most common
Geography matters for names, and Knox is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Knoxs were TX (189), OH (85), FL (81), TN (75), CA (74). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
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
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. It scores 41/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.