Find out how popular the last name Kox is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kox.

Kox, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kox surname is from the 2000 census data.

Popularity of Kox in America

Kox is the 149328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kox surname appeared 101 times in the 2000 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kox.

The history of the last name Kox

The surname Kox is believed to have originated in the Low Countries, particularly in regions that are today part of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. The origins of the name can be traced back to the medieval period, around the late 12th to early 13th centuries. It is most prevalent in the Dutch-speaking areas of Flanders and the southern Netherlands.

The name Kox likely derives from a shortened form of the Middle Dutch word "kocke" or "kock," which meant 'cook.' This was a common occupational name for someone who worked as a cook or was in charge of food preparation. There are numerous variations and spellings of the name in historical records, including Cox, Cocx, and Kocks. These variations are due to the phonetic transcription of names in different regions and periods.

One of the earliest records of a person bearing the surname appears in medieval tax registers and guild records from the Limburg region, straddling parts of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands, around the late 13th century. A notable mention is Jans Kox, who was documented in 1349 as a member of the local guild of cooks in Maastricht. Maastricht was an important medieval trade hub, and guilds played a significant role in the social and economic life of the city.

In Brabant, another historical region that encompasses parts of both Belgium and the Netherlands, the name Kox appears in land deeds and other official documents from the 15th century. For example, Petrus Kox, a landowner, was documented in Leuven in 1465.

A more famous bearer of the name is Jean Kox, a Luxembourgish politician born in 1902 and deceased in 1968. Jean Kox served as a member of Luxembourg's legislature and contributed to the country’s political landscape during his career. His presence in historical records shows the spread of the surname to Luxembourg, likely as families moved for trade or other opportunities.

In art history, Pierre Kox, a Flemish painter of note, was born in Antwerp in 1758 and died in 1824. He was known for his portraits and still life paintings and was a contemporary of other notable Flemish artists. Pierre Kox’s works are documented in various art catalogues and exhibitions in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Returning to the Netherlands, the surname appears again in more recent historical records with Paul Kox, born in 1857 and a noted writer in Dutch literature. His contributions to Dutch literature include several novels and collections of poetry, and his works remain studied in the literary history of the region.

Throughout history, the Kox surname has not only fulfilled its role as an occupational indicator but also evolved with the cultural and regional dynamics of the Low Countries. The presence of the name in medieval guilds, political circles, art history, and literature underscores its broad and lasting heritage across generations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kox

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kox.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2000 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kox was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kox was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kox, please contact us.

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