Boy · #191 in 2026

Maxwell

Name: Popularity of the name Maxwell in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Maxwell, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Maxwell is a masculine given name. It is of English and Scottish origin, meaning "From Mack's Spring". The name originates as a place name from a location on the River Tweed in Scotland and first recorded in 1144 CE, spelled Mackeswell.

Current Rank

#191

Peak Rank

#106 (2014)

Total Babies

111K

5-Yr Trend

-26%

1917

First Year

2026

Last Year

2017

Peak Year

#2634

Peak Rank

779

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Maxwell

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Maxwell

Maxwell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 3,739 Maxwells were born — ranking #107 that year. As of 2026, Maxwell ranks #191 for baby boys with 1,854 births, falling sharply (-26%). In total, more than 111K Maxwells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Maxwell

Phonetically similar names — useful when Maxwell is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Maxell
Maxwells
Macksville
Maxing
Nextel
Haswell
Noxell
Mackerel
Maxilla
Mackle
Maximal
Mackrel

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Maxwell

What does the name Maxwell mean?

How popular is Maxwell in 2026?

In 2026, Maxwell ranks #191 among boys' names in the U.S., with 1,854 babies given the name that year.

When was Maxwell most popular?

Maxwell reached its peak popularity in 2014, ranking #106 that year with 3,739 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Maxwell most popular?

Maxwell has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Minnesota, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Maxwell.

Is Maxwell a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Maxwell is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Maxwell?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Maxwell include Rickey, Jalen, Amos. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Maxwell

Maxwell is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 111K births in the dataset. Maxwell's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #106. Use the chart and map above to compare Maxwell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.