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At a Glance: Name: Fox – Meaning: The fox, the animal; a transferred use of the English surname/word, occasionally chosen in tribute to Quaker founder George Fox. – Origin: English – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: FOKS
Fox is an English name used for any gender, taken directly from the animal and the surname — it's occasionally chosen as a nod to Quaker founder George Fox. On name-style lists it tends to land alongside bohemian, bold, modern, and nature-inspired picks. You may see claims that Fox means 'clever' or 'cunning,' but that's folklore about the animal, not the name's actual meaning — as a name, Fox doesn't carry any attested meaning beyond the word itself.
Meaning & Origin of Fox
Meaning: The fox, the animal; a transferred use of the english surname/word, occasionally chosen in tribute to quaker founder george fox..
Origin: English.
A common claim: Popularly said to symbolize cunning, cleverness, and agility — traits associated with foxes. Actually: That's characterization and folklore, not etymology — as a name, Fox is simply the transferred surname/animal word, with no attested meaning of "clever" or "sly."
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Fox
Phonetic: FOKS IPA: /ˈfɑːks/
Popularity of Fox
SSA records for Fox go back to 1888; the name peaked at #744 in 2016 with 327 babies, and by 2024 it had settled to #1111 with 192 babies.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1888–2024.
Make Fox Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Fox, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Fox mean?
The fox, the animal; a transferred use of the english surname/word, occasionally chosen in tribute to quaker founder george fox.. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fox)
How do you pronounce Fox?
Fox is pronounced FOKS (IPA: /ˈfɑːks/).
Is Fox a popular name right now?
Fox peaked at #744 in 2016 and is ranked #1111 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1888–2024.)
📊 How popular is Fox? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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