Fox
Fox is a unisex, primarily masculine, given name, a transferred use of the English surname meaning “fox.” In some instances, it might have been used as a given name in honor of George Fox (1624–1691), the founder of the Quaker movement. The X-Files character Fox Mulder has drawn more attention to the name in recent years.
Meaning & Origin of Fox
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Fox is a unisex, primarily masculine, given name, a transferred use of the English surname meaning “fox.” In some instances, it might have been used as a given name in honor of George Fox (1624–1691), the founder of the Quaker movement. The X-Files character Fox Mulder has drawn more attention to the name in recent years.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Fox
Fox first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1888, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 327 Foxs were born — ranking #744 that year. As of 2026, Fox ranks #1,183 for baby boys with 175 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 4K Foxs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Fox
Phonetically similar names — useful when Fox is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fox
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About the name Fox
Fox is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1888 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Fox's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #744. Use the chart and map above to compare Fox's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "F" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.