Knox

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A proper noun referring to a surname of Scottish origin notably linked to historical figures, a place name in various English-speaking countries, and institutions or landmarks named accordingly
2. A family name originating in Scotland associated with prominent persons in history; the designation of several geographic locations primarily in the United States; and used in names of schools, military bases, or other public sites
3. A last name with roots in Scottish heritage linked to key historical individuals, common as a toponym in English-speaking regions, and employed as a title for various establishments and sites worldwide

Etymology: The surname Knox comes from a place-name rather than a person's trade or father's name. It is borrowed from Scottish Gaelic "cnoc", meaning "round hill", and it originally described someone who lived by or on such a hill. Many Scottish family names grew out of this pattern, with a landscape feature becoming the label for the household that dwelt beside it. The most famous bearer of the name was the Scottish reformer John Knox, whose surname carried the Gaelic hill-word into the history of the Protestant Reformation in Scotland. His name is now often met in places such as schools and streets, though the surname itself remains a fairly common one in Scotland and beyond.