Knoxville
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Tennessee River within the Appalachian Mountains, it is the largest city in the Grand Division of East Tennessee. Knoxville had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Tennessee. The Knoxville metropolitan area has an estimated 958,000 residents.
Meaning & Origin of Knoxville
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Tennessee River within the Appalachian Mountains, it is the largest city in the Grand Division of East Tennessee. Knoxville had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Tennessee. The Knoxville metropolitan area has an estimated 958,000 residents.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Knoxville
Knoxville first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2014, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 5 Knoxvilles were born — ranking #12,106 that year. As of 2026, Knoxville ranks #12,230 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Knoxvilles have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Knoxville
Phonetically similar names — useful when Knoxville 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 Knoxville
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About the name Knoxville
Knoxville is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2014 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Knoxville's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #12,106. Use the chart and map above to compare Knoxville's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.