Knott County was named in 1884 for J. Proctor Knott during his term as Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Marion County, Kentucky, in 1830, Knott served in the Missouri Legislature from 1851 to 1859 and as attorney general from 1859 to 1860, then returned to Kentucky in 1863. He served six terms in the U.S. Congress, became famous as a humorous and satirical orator, took the lead in the 1891 Constitutional Convention in keeping the capitol at Frankfort, served as the first law dean of Centre College from 1891 to 1901, and died in 1911.