Find out how popular the last name Maxwell is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Maxwell.

Maxwell, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Maxwell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Maxwell in America

Maxwell is the 490th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Maxwell surname appeared 67,961 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 23 people would have the surname Maxwell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Maxwell to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Maxwell

The surname Maxwell has its origins in Scotland, first appearing in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mæssere" meaning "monk" and "welle" meaning "stream", referring to a monastery or chapel near a stream or spring. The name likely originated in the area around the town of Maxwell in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

The earliest recorded reference to the surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where Aymer de Maxwell is listed as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Another early record is from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1390, which mentions John de Maxwell of Caerlaverock.

The Maxwell family played a prominent role in Scottish history, with several members holding important positions and titles. One notable figure was Sir Herbert Maxwell, who was appointed Lord Maxwell in 1445 and later became the 1st Lord Maxwell. Another was Robert Maxwell, the 5th Lord Maxwell (c.1493-1546), who fought against the English at the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542.

In England, the name is also found in early records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a Richard Maxwell. The Maxwells were also landowners in Northumberland and Cumberland, with the village of Maxwell in Cumbria likely named after them.

Other historical figures with the surname Maxwell include:

1. James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and physics, including the development of the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation.

2. Constantine Maxwell (c.1592-1622), a Scottish poet and courtier during the reign of King James VI of Scotland and I of England.

3. Sir Murray Maxwell (1775-1831), a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonial governor.

4. William Maxwell (1908-2000), an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his works "The Folded Leaf" and "So Long, See You Tomorrow".

5. John Maxwell (c.1590-1647), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Maxwell

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Maxwell.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Maxwell was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Maxwell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Maxwell was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Maxwell, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!