Maxwell
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.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Maxwell
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
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.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
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. The name hit its high-water mark in 2014: 3,739 births, good for #107 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 29% of all recorded Maxwells. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #191 among baby boy names 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
Variants & Related Forms of Maxwell
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Maxwell. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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
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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
- Top names of 2014 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- 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.