Gender | Primarily masculine |
---|---|
Origin | |
Word/name | English, Scottish |
Meaning | round hill |
Knox is a primarily masculine given name, a transferred use of a Scottish surname and place name from the Scots Gaelic "cnoc" or Old English cnocc, referring to a small hill with a round top. [1] [2] [3]
The name increased in usage after Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie used it for their son in 2008. [4] 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 ranked in 200th position for boys in 2022. It has also been in occasional use for girls in that country. According to United States Social Security Administration statistics, 28 newborn American girls and 1,891 newborn American boys were named Knox in 2022. 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. [5] Knoxlee, Knoxleigh, and Knoxli, adding the fashionable modern American lee or leigh or li suffix and sound pattern, are also in use in the United States for girls. [6] Knoxlynn, with the addition of the popular suffix -lynn, is also in use for girls. Variant spellings, adding a fashionable extra x, such as Knoxx are in use. [7] Also in use for American boys are elaborations such as Knoxson and Knoxton and Knoxtyn. [8] It also has associations in the United States with Fort Knox. [9]
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen, an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the first martyr of the Christian Church.
Lilibet or Lillibet is a feminine given name of English or Welsh origin. It is often a nickname for the given name Elizabeth. It was the childhood nickname of Queen Elizabeth II, who called herself Lilibet when she was a toddler because she had difficulty pronouncing her full name. Her great-granddaughter Princess Lilibet of Sussex was named in her honour. The name has also been spelled Lilybet in some sources.
Nevaeh is a feminine given name which was coined by spelling heaven backwards. It was somewhat popular in the 2000s and 2010s.
Emerson is an English given name, a transferred use of an English surname coming either from Anglo-Saxon Emars sunu, "Emar's son," or from "Emery's son." It is in use for both boys and girls. Spelling variants such as Emersyn are also in regular use.
Darlene, also spelled Darleen or Darline, is an English feminine given name coined in the late 19th century. It is based on the term of endearment darling in combination with the diminutive suffix -een, -ene, or -ine in use in other names popular during that period such as Arleen, Charlene, Claudine, Irene, Jolene, Josephine, Marlene, Maxine, and Pauline. The greatest use of the name has been in North America. Darla is a variant.
Maddox is a mainly male name in use in English speaking countries derived from a Welsh surname meaning "son of Madoc". The name Madoc means "fortunate" and is derived from the Welsh word mad. Madoc or Madog was a legendary Welsh prince who in Welsh folklore sailed to the New World three hundred years before Christopher Columbus.
Miley is a feminine given name. It first entered the top 1,000 names used for newborn girls in the United States in 2007 and has continued to be well used. Spelling variants of the name in use include, among others, Milee, Mileigh, Mylee, Myleigh, and Mylie. Its popularity is attributed to the fame of singer-songwriter and actress Miley Cyrus, whose name originated as a childhood nickname given to her by her father because she was so "smiley". Cyrus starred as Miley Stewart on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana.
Goldie is a nickname or given name used in reference to an informal English diminutive word for gold or an English version of the Yiddish name Golda or Golde, also meaning gold. It was often used as a pet name for a girl with blonde hair. It is also used as a nickname for formal names such as Marigold. It has a “vintage vibe” for some parents who have considered it. Other commentators note that the name has risen in use for girls along with other names of a similar style that all exude cuteness and promote enjoyment, perhaps in reaction to serious times. The English expression good as gold is often used to describe people who act virtuously and, in the case of children, are well-behaved.
The United States has very few laws governing given names. This freedom has given rise to a wide variety of names and naming trends. Naming traditions play a role in the cohesion and communication within American cultures. Cultural diversity in the U.S. has led to great variations in names and naming traditions and names have been used to express creativity, personality, cultural identity, and values.
Palmer is a given name of English origin that is a transferred use of a surname meaning palm bearer or pilgrim. Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land traditionally carried the palms.
Tigerlily or Tiger Lily is an occasionally used English feminine given name used in reference to the flower known as the tiger lily due to its coloration that resembles a tiger. It was the name of a character in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, his 1911 novel Peter and Wendy, and their various adaptations. More attention was drawn to the name after its use by Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates for their daughter in 1996. It is a name with an image of bold and unconventional beauty, bordering on the outlandish, in Western countries. It is considered a “guilty pleasure” name by some.
Marigold is an English name taken from the common name used for flowers from different genera such as Calendula or Tagetes, among others.
Cataleya is a feminine given name, a variant spelling of Cattleya, a genus of orchid named in honor of English botanist William Cattley. The surname Cattley is said to be a transferred use of Catley, a one-time English place name in both Hertfordshire and Lincolnshire. The place name was ultimately derived from the Old English words catte, meaning cat and leah, meaning meadow or clearing, giving the meaning “from the meadow or clearing where wildcats dwell.” Another name for the Cattleya orchid is cat orchid. Others have made a connection between the name and cats because of the name’s starting syllable.
Bexley is a given name of English origin, a transferred use of a surname or place name meaning “clearing surrounded by box trees”.
Birdie is a given name used in reference to an informal English diminutive word for a bird. Spelling variants include Birdee, Birdy, and Byrdie.
Lyra is a feminine given name of Greek and Latin origin meaning lyre. It is usually given in reference to the constellation and the Greek myth that inspired its naming. The name has associations with music and harmony and the night sky. The name has recently increased in usage due to a character in His Dark Materials, a book trilogy by Philip Pullman, and the television show and film adapted from the books.
Kylo is a primarily masculine name usually given in reference to the Star Wars character Kylo Ren. Usage of the name has increased in the United States and United Kingdom and elsewhere. According to some sources, parents might have found the sound of the name attractive and find the character appealing despite his villainy.
Coraline is a feminine given name, usually considered a French diminutive of the name Coral, which is derived from the name for the precious coral used to make jewelry. It was first used by French composer Adolphe Adam for a character in his 1849 comic opera Le toréador. As a diminutive of Coral, the name is traditionally pronounced with an een ending. It might also be a diminutive of the name Cora. Coraline is also a name for a red, pink, or orange shade of the color coral. Author Neil Gaiman believed that he had invented the name as a rhyming variant of the name Caroline for the title character in his dark fantasy horror children's novella Coraline. Gaiman pronounced the name of the character with a long i to rhyme with the word wine. Gaiman also liked the name's resemblance to the word coral, which he explained is "both beautiful and hard and hidden." He also later found the name had been used for a tragic heroine in a Victorian-era song as well as for a type of material used to make corsets.
Cashmere is a given name derived from the wool, which has a luxurious image. The name is also a surname.
Maxine is an English feminine given name created as a feminine version of the name Max.