Knox Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Knox last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Knox last name
Meaning of the Knox last name: from the knock (round hill). Knox is a Scottish surname from the lands of Knock in Renfrewshire, named after a round hill, from Gaelic cnoc, "hillock". Many families with this last name settled in Ulster in the 1600s. A curious detail: the reformer John Knox led the Scottish Reformation, and Henry Knox, born in Boston to Ulster-Scots parents, was George Washington's artillery commander and the first US Secretary of War.
Arms associated with the Knox name
Scottish heraldry favours bold figures such as lions, stars and hands, and coats of arms associated with the Knox surname follow that strong, clear style.
Get your full Knox family history
This is only a glimpse of the Knox story. The full Knox history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Knox coat of arms. Get the full Knox report.
Knox name FAQ
What does the Knox name mean?
From the knock (round hill). Common variants include Knock, Knocks, Nox.
Where does the Knox surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Northern Ireland and Canada.
Is there a Knox coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Knox coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).