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Knox Family History

Knox Name Meaning

Scottish and English (Northumberland and Durham): from a genitive or plural form of Old English cnocc ‘round-topped hill’ hence a topographic name for someone who lived on a hilltop or a habitational name from any of the places in Scotland and northern England named with this element now spelled Knock in particular one in Renfrewshire. Scottish: habitational name from any of the places in Scotland named with Gaelic cnoc ‘hill’ for example Knock in Renfrewshire. It is not possibly to disentangle this from the surname derived from the English etymon mentioned in 1 above. Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic) surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Knock, Knop, Ko, Knee, Noy, Kos, Krol, Kwon, Noe, Krog

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Where is the Knox family from?

You can see how Knox families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Knox family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Knox families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 569 Knox families living in Ontario. This was about 50% of all the recorded Knox's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Knox families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Knox surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Knox ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Knox. 37% of Knox men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Knox women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Knox were Carpenter and Student. .

View Census Data for Knox | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    37%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    20%
  • Housekeeper
    17%
  • Income
    11%
  • Student
    10%
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What Knox family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 299,000 census records available for the last name Knox. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Knox census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Knox

Passenger Lists

There are 39,000 immigration records available for the last name Knox. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 57,000 military records available for the last name Knox. For the veterans among your Knox ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Knox lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Knox life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1948, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Knox in 1940 was 53, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Knox

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