Knox History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The Knox surname comes from the Old English word "cnocc," which meant a round topped hill. 1 The surname may have been taken on by someone who lived at such a place, or may have come from one of several places called Knock, in Scotland and Northern England. 2 3

Early Origins of the Knox family

The surname Knox was first found in Renfrewshire where the family is derived through the Crawfords "rom Adam son of Uchtred, who in the reign of Alexander II received from Walter the Steward the lands of Knock in the barony of Renfrew. The lands were named from the remarkable prominence there called "The Knock." The s is English plural. In 1234 the land of Cnoc in Renfrewshire was held under the abbot of Paisley by Duugallus filius Cristini and Matilda his spouse, who claimed lands in Kilpatrick as heirs of Dufgallus, the rector, brother of the earl of Lennox (RMP., p. 178). About 1260 John de Cnoc or Knoc witnessed a charter of the lands of Haldhingleston (Ingliston), Renfrewshire, and in 1272 he witnessed the gift which Sir Antonius Lombardus (Anthony the Lombard) made to Paisley of his right in the lands of Fulton to the Abbey of Paisley (ibid., p. 51, 58). In the following year he witnessed, along with William de Knoc, a grant of lands by Malcolm, earl of Lennox to the same Abbey." 4

Early History of the Knox family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Knox research. Another 449 words (32 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1230, 1272, 1280, 1311, 1328, 1330, 1345, 1407, 1408, 1426, 1460, 1463, 1464, 1468, 1475, 1480, 1493, 1505, 1549, 1555, 1558, 1559, 1560, 1565, 1567, 1570, 1572, 1592, 1594, 1597, 1605, 1613, 1615, 1621, 1623, 1633, 1640, 1641, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1658, 1659, 1661, 1662, 1679, 1680, 1688, 1720, 1721, 1764, 1775, 1786, 1790, 1791, 1797, 1810, 1812, 1815, 1834, 1837, 1840, 1842, 1862, 1883 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Knox History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knox Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Knox, Knock, Knocks and others.

Early Notables of the Knox family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

John Knox (c.1505-1572), a Scottish religious reformer, a follower of John Calvin and the driving force behind the introduction and establishment of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland; and his second...
Robert Knox (1641-1720), was an English sea captain in the service of the British East India Company. Another Robert Knox (1640-1720) was a writer, born in Beylon

Knox World Ranking

In the United States, the name Knox is the 641^st most popular surname with an estimated 47,253 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Knox is ranked the 765^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,084 people with that name. 6 And in New Zealand, the name Knox is the 602^nd popular surname with an estimated 1,195 people with that name. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Knox as 746^th with 8,967 people. 8

Migration of the Knox family to Ireland

Some of the Knox family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Knox migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Knox Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Timothy Knox, who arrived in New England in 1730 9
Adam Knox, who landed in New England in 1737 9
Thomas Knox, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 9
Isobel Knox, aged 21, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 9
Robert Knox, who arrived in Frederick County, Maryland in 1798 9

Knox Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Knox, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1800 9
Walker Knox, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1806 9
Jane Knox, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 9
Joseph Knox, who landed in New Jersey in 1811 9
Dean Knox, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Knox migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Knox Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

George Knox, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Mr. Knox Thomas U.E. born in New York, USA who settled in Carleton [Saint John West], New Brunswick, Canada c. 1783 he was the Deputy Commissary of Musters in settling Loyalists on the Saint John River 10

Knox Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Knox Senior, aged 50, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Jane Knox, aged 40, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
John Knox, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Jane Knox, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Margaret Knox, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Knox migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Knox Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Knox, English convict from Worcester, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Thomas Knox, (Green, William), Irish whitesmith from Belfast who was convicted in Isle of Man for 14 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. James Knox, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 19th November 1827, settling in New South Wales, Australia 13
Miss Ann Knox, (b. 1803), aged 27, Scottish house maid who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years for indecent behavior, transported aboard the "Earl of Liverpool" in December 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she had a child aboard with her, she died in 1884 14
Mr. George Knox, (Noakes), British Convict who was convicted in Maidstone, Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 25th June 1838, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Knox migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Knox Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Fredrick John Knox, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Martha Ridgway
Dr. Frederick JohnKnox, British settler travelling from England aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th November 1840 16
Mrs. Knox, British settler travelling from England with 5 children aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th November 1840 16
C W Knox, who landed in Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand in 1843
Miss Knox, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Phoebe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th April 1843 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Knox migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 18

Knox Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Christopher Knox, who landed in Barbados in 1628 9

Knox Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

James Knox, who arrived in St Christopher in 1715 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Knox (post 1700) +

Nick Knox (1958-2018), born Nicholas George Stephanoff, an American drummer for the psychobilly band The Cramps
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox (1932-2018), American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, three-times AP NFL Coach of the Year (1973, 1980, 1984)
John Theryll Knox (1924-2017), American politician and lawyer, Member of the California House of Representatives (1960-1980)
Brenda Dale Knox (1957-2016), known as The Lady Chablis, an American actress, author and drag performer
Simmie Knox (b. 1935), American portrait painter of former United States President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Seymour Horace Knox I (1861-1915), American businessman, co-founder of the F. W. Woolworth Company
Philander Chase Knox (1853-1921), American lawyer, bank director and politician, United States Attorney General (1901–1904)
Harley Eugene Knox (1899-1956), American politician, 25th Mayor of San Diego (1943-1951)
Elyse Knox (1917-2012), born Elsie Lillian Kornbrath, an American actress, model and fashion designer
Commodore Dudley Wright Knox (1877-1960), American officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and World War I
... (Another 106 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Knox family +

HMS Hood

Mr. John D Knox (b. 1921), English Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Southampton, Hampshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19
Mr. John A Knox (b. 1922), Scottish Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Stonehaven, Kincardine, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Samuel McIlhenny Knox, American 1st Class Passenger from Philadephia, Pennsylvania, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking by escaping in a collapsible 20

The Knox Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Moveo et proficior
Motto Translation: I proceed and am more prosperous.

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1827
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-of-liverpool
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/