2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Maxian
An uncommon surname possibly derived from the Latin name Maxianus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Maxian. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Maxian surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Maxian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Maxian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Maxian
The surname MAXIAN is believed to have originated from the Latin word "maximus," meaning "greatest" or "biggest." This name likely emerged during the Roman Empire, when Latin was widely spoken across Europe.
The earliest recorded instances of the name MAXIAN can be traced back to medieval England, where it was written in various forms such as Maxian, Maxion, and Maxion. These spellings are thought to have derived from the Old English words "mæsse" (mass) and "ian" (servant), suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who served at the church or attended mass regularly.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name MAXIAN was William Maxian, a landowner mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John Maxian was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period, including the Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas.
During the Renaissance, a scholar and humanist named Thomas Maxian (1490-1551) gained recognition for his translations of classical Greek and Latin texts. He was also a close friend and correspondent of the renowned English philosopher and statesman, Sir Thomas More.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the MAXIAN family was Sir Robert Maxian (1612-1678), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the English Civil War, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
Another notable individual with the surname MAXIAN was Elizabeth Maxian (1725-1795), a influential figure in the early days of the American colonies. She was a prominent advocate for women's education and established one of the first schools for girls in Philadelphia.
Throughout history, the MAXIAN name has been associated with various professions, including clergy, merchants, scholars, and landowners. Although the name has evolved and adapted over time, it has maintained its connection to its Latin roots, representing a sense of greatness and distinction.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Maxian
Among Census respondents with the surname Maxian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Maxian bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Maxian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 10
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Maxian
Maxian appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,233 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-9 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 6,408 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 15,233 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 6,408 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Maxian surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #148,347 | #154,755 | -4.3% |
| Count | 111 | 102 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Maxian bearers went from 111 to 102 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 6,408 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,755.
FAQ
Maxian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Maxian?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Maxian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Maxian?
Maxian ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Maxian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Maxian.
Has Maxian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Maxian went from 111 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 9 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Maxian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Maxian, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Maxian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Maxian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (9.8%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Maxian (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Maxian mean?
An uncommon surname possibly derived from the Latin name Maxianus. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Maxian (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Maxian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.