Maxwell
A Scottish surname from a place on the Tweed near Melrose, made of a Norse personal name, Maccus, and an Old English word for a pool or stream.
Maxwell in 2025
Maxwell was given to 1,939 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 355th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,710 babies born.
The history of Maxwell
Maxwell reached its highest point in 2014, when 3,773 babies were given the name, ranking 184th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 109,467 babies have been named Maxwell. Half of them were born before 2007, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Maxwell by decade
| Decade | Babies named Maxwell | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 72 | 1,223 |
| 1890s | 131 | 1,089 |
| 1900s | 230 | 1,050 |
| 1910s | 1,218 | 805 |
| 1920s | 1,158 | 1,111 |
| 1930s | 737 | 1,288 |
| 1940s | 641 | 1,596 |
| 1950s | 723 | 1,776 |
| 1960s | 632 | 2,060 |
| 1970s | 967 | 1,632 |
| 1980s | 5,832 | 399 |
| 1990s | 20,955 | 209 |
| 2000s | 30,108 | 215 |
| 2010s | 32,805 | 184 |
| 2020s | 13,258 | 259 |
Where Maxwell is heading
Maxwell has fallen 46% over the past decade, from 3,593 babies in 2015 to 1,939 in 2025.
Names like Maxwell
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Maxwell.