The surname Cox is of English or Welsh origin, and may have originated independently in several places in Great Britain, with the variations arriving at a standard spelling only later. There are also two native Scottish and Irish surnames which were anglicised into Cox.
An early record of the surname dates from 1556 with the marriage of Alicea Cox at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. Cox is the 69th-most common surname in the United Kingdom. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
Origin One possibility of the origin is that it is a version of the Old English which means "the little", and was sometimes put after the name of a leader or chieftain as a term of endearment. Surnames such as Wilcox, Willcocks and Willcox are examples of this practice: all are composed of the name William and the archaic word , coming together to mean "little William". The suggestion is that only the element -cox may have endured as a surname for some families.
Another opinion is that the name is derived from the Old English , which means a "heap" or "mound", and was a topographic name for a man living near any heap, hill or other bundle. Names like Haycock or Haycox come from such practice, meaning from "the hay mounds" or "the hay fields". Again, the element -cox may have only been carried on in some families.
The third possibility is that it comes from the Welsh , meaning "red". In this opinion, the word could have either been applied to a man with red hair, calling him in essence "the Red", or else served as a topographic name for someone living near the ruddy-hued hills found in Wales, implying that the man is "from the red hills". In Cornwall, the surnames Cock and Couch (pronounced 'cooch') also derive from Cornish "red, scarlet".
As a Cornish surname, Cock can also derive from , "fishing boat", the Cornish surname "Cocking" being the diminutive form , "small fishing boat". In these cases, the surname is likely to derive from occupation.
The English word "cock" (US English "rooster"), is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word , and a fourth possibility is that the surname came about as a nickname.
Another possibility is that the name is of Norman origin. In the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, Alric Le Coq was one of Duke William's companions. Alric was said to have been a "a strutting {as a rooster struts} Norman soldier ... who was nicknamed '' and his children 'little cockes.'" could easily have been Anglicized to Cox as seen in the previous possibility.
The surname Cox is also native to Belgian and Dutch Limburg. This name, like the related Cockx, is a degenerate form of , a latinization of Kok (English: cook).Cox at the Meertens Institute database of surnames in the Netherlands
Noticeably similar surnames include Cock, Cocks, Coxe, Coxen and Coxon. There is no evidence beyond similar spellings and phonetics that these surnames are related. Given that the origins of the Cox surname are uncertain, it is possible that these names developed as spelling variations, or that each of these names has an origin in a separate word and language.
The origins of the surname in North America are speculated across several written accounts, with most sources pointing towards three distinct families arriving from England in the 17th and 18th centuries: in 1690, brothers Thomas, William, and Walter Cocke originally of Surry; in 1705, the family of Dr. Wilham Cocke of Williamsburg; and at an unknown time before 1658, Nicholas Cocke of Middlesex.
Notable people with the surname "Cox" include
A Aaron Cox (born 1965), American football player Abbie Cox (1902–1985), Canadian ice hockey player Adam Cox (born 1986), British artistic gymnast Adrian Cox (born 1980), Australian rules footballer Aimee Cox, American anthropologist Ainslee Cox (1936–1988), American conductor Alan Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Alaqua Cox (born 1997), American actress Albert Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Alexander Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Alf Cox (1919–2008), Australian rugby league footballer Alfred Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Alison Cox (born 1979), American rower Allyn Cox (1896–1982), American artist Alphonso Cox (1908–1964), American baseball player Amanda Cox (born 1980), American journalist Amber Cox (born 1973/1974), American sports executive Ana Marie Cox (born 1972), American blogger André Cox (born 1954), Zimbabwean General of The Salvation Army Andrew Cox (born 1964), Australian rower Andy Cox (born 1956), British guitarist Anna Cox, British neuroscientist Anthony Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Archibald Cox (1912–2004), American politician Arisa Cox (born 1978), Canadian television personality Arthur Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Ashley Cox (born 1956), American model and actress Austin Cox (born 1997), American baseball player
B Barbara Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Barry Cox (born 1949), Australian rugby league footballer Barry Cox (singer), British-Chinese singer Bell Cox (1826–1897), Irish priest Ben Cox (born 1992), English cricketer Beris Cox (1948–2023), British biostratigrapher and palaeontologist Benjamin Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Berkley Cox (1934–2024), Australian rules footballer Bill Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Billy Cox (born 1941), American bass guitarist Billy Cox (baseball) (1919–1978), American baseball player Bobby Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Brad Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Bradford Cox (born 1982), American singer-songwriter Brandon Cox (born 1983), American football player Brandon Cox (politician) (born 1974), American politician Brenda Cox (1944–2015), Australian sprinter Brennan Cox (born 1998), Australian rules footballer Brent Cox, American politician Brenton Cox Jr. (born 2000), American football player Brian Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Britteny Cox (born 1994), Australian skier Bronwyn Cox (born 1997), Australian rower Bruce Cox (1918–2004), American photographer Bryan Cox (born 1968), American football player and coach Bryan Cox Jr. (born 1994), American football player Bryan-Michael Cox (born 1977), American songwriter Bud Cox (born 1960), American tennis player
C Calli Cox (born 1977), American pornographic actress Camden Cox (born 1990), English electronic dance musician Canela Cox (born 1984), American singer-songwriter Captain Cox, English collector Carl Cox (born 1962), British musician Carmiesha Cox (born 1995), Bahamian sprinter Carol Cox, American drag racer Caroline Cox (born 1937), English politician Cary Cox (1917–1991), American football player Casey Cox (1941–2023), American baseball player Cassidy Cox (born 1998), American archer Catherine Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Cathy Cox (disambiguation), multiple people C. C. Cox (1887–1915), American race car driver Cedric Cox (1913–1993), Canadian technician and politician Cedric Cox (footballer) (born 1997), Australian rules footballer Chandler Cox (born 1996), American football player Channing H. Cox (1879–1968), American politician Chapman B. Cox (born 1940), American military advisor Charles Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Charly Cox (born 1995), British poet Cheryl Cox (born 1949), American politician Chip Cox (born 1983), American football player Chris Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Christina Cox (born 1971), Canadian actress Christopher Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Chubby Cox (born 1955), American basketball player Cindy Cox (born 1961), American composer C. J. Cox (born 2004), American basketball player Claire Cox (born 1975), British actress Clay Cox (born 1968), American politician Colin Cox (1922–1989), Australian rules footballer Comer Cox (1905–1971), American baseball player Conor Cox (born 1992), Irish Gaelic footballer Constance Cox (1912–1998), British scriptwriter Courteney Cox (born 1964), American actress Courtney Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Crystal Cox (born 1979), American track and field athlete Curome Cox (born 1981), American football player
D Dakota Cox (born 1994), American football player Damien Cox (born 1961), Canadian journalist Daniel Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Danielle Cox (born 1992), English footballer Danny Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Darius Cox (born 1983), Bermudian footballer Darren Cox (born 1974), British businessman Darron Cox (born 1967), American baseball player Darryl Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Dave Cox (1938–2010), American politician David Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Dayna Cox (born 1993), Australian rules footballer Dean Cox (born 1981), Australian rules footballer Dean Cox (English footballer) (born 1987), English footballer Deb Cox (born 1958), Australian screenwriter Deborah Cox (born 1971), Canadian singer Demetrious Cox (born 1994), American football player Denise Cox, American geologist Dennis Cox (1925–2001), English cricketer Derek Cox (born 1986), American football player Derek Cox (athlete) (1931–2008), English athlete Dick Cox (1897–1966), American baseball player Doak Cox (1917–2003), American geologist Doc Cox (born 1946), British television personality Donald Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Donna Cox, American professor Dorinda Cox (born 1977), Australian politician Dorothy Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Doug Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Douglas Cox (disambiguation), multiple people
E Earnest Cox (disambiguation), multiple people E. B. Cox (1914–2003), Canadian sculptor Ed Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Edgar William Cox (1882–1918), British intelligence officer Edward Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Edwin Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Elbert Frank Cox (1895–1969), American mathematician Eleanor Worthington Cox (born 2001), British actress Eli Cox (born 2000), American football player Elijah Albert Cox (1876–1955), British painter Elijah Allen Cox (1887–1974), American judge Elizabeth Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Elliot Cox (born 2007), American racing driver Emily Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Emma Cox (born 1992), Australian sport shooter Emmett Ripley Cox (1935–2021), American judge Eric Cox (1923–2006), Australian rugby league footballer Erin Nealy Cox (born 1970), American attorney Erle Cox (1873–1950), Australian writer Ernest Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Ernie Cox (1894–1962), Canadian football player Ernie Cox (baseball) (1894–1974), American baseball player E. S. Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Ethan Cox (born 1987), Canadian ice hockey player Ethel Cox (1888–?), British suffragette Euan Hillhouse Methven Cox (1893–1977), English botanist Eugene Saint Julien Cox (1834–1898), American politician Eva Cox (born 1938), Australian writer
F Fletcher Cox (born 1990), American football player Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812–1879), English translator Francis Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Francisco José Cox (1933–2020), Chilean prelate Frank Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Franklin Cox (born 1961), American composer Freddie Cox (1920–1973), English football player Frederic Cox (1905–1985), British singer Frederick Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Frosty Cox (1908–1962), American basketball coach F. W. Cox (1817–1904), Australian pastor
G Gardner Cox (1920–1988), American sailor Garfield V. Cox (1893–1970), American economist Gary Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Gene Cox (1935–2009), American football coach Geoffrey Cox (disambiguation), multiple people George Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Geraldine Cox (born 1945), Australian orphanage administrator Gerard Cox (1940–2025), Dutch singer Gershom Cox (1863–1918), English footballer Gertrude Mary Cox (1900–1978), American statistician Gilbert Cox (1908–1974), English cricketer Glenn Cox (1931–2012), American baseball player Grace Victoria Cox (born 1995), Australian actress Graham Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Greg Cox (disambiguation), multiple people Guillermo Larco Cox (1932–2002), Peruvian politician