The name Maxwell has its origins in the medieval Scottish surname derived from the Old English words "mæssere" meaning "monk's servant" and "wella" meaning "spring" or "stream". It essentially referred to someone who worked at a monastery spring or well. The name first emerged in the 12th century among the Scottish lowlands and northern England.

The earliest known record of the surname Maxwell dates back to 1156, when Undwain Maxwell witnessed a charter by Walter FitzAlan, the first High Steward of Scotland. Over the next few centuries, the Maxwell family rose to become one of the most powerful noble families in Scotland, holding lands and titles such as the Earldom of Nithsdale.

As a given name, Maxwell first gained popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries, likely influenced by the prominence of the Maxwell clan. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Sir Maxwell Sturt, an English landowner and politician born around 1540.

Notable historical figures named Maxwell include James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), the renowned Scottish physicist best known for his work on electromagnetism and the kinetic theory of gases. Another famous bearer of the name was William Maxwell Aitken (1879-1964), better known as Lord Beaverbrook, a Canadian-British businessman, politician, and writer.

In the United States, Maxwell Anderson (1888-1959) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author, while Maxwell Taylor (1901-1987) was a highly decorated American general and diplomat who served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Other notable figures named Maxwell include Maxwell Perkins (1884-1947), an influential American book editor who worked with authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, and Maxwell Maltz (1899-1975), an American cosmetic surgeon and author best known for his book "Psycho-Cybernetics".

The name Maxwell has remained popular throughout the English-speaking world, particularly in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and continues to be a well-established and respected name with a rich historical legacy.