Maxwell
Boy · MAKS-wel · Scottish
Maxwell is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “stream of Maccus”. In 2025 it ranked 197th for boys in the UK (288 babies) and 189th for boys in the US (1,924 babies).
What does Maxwell mean?
Scottish: Scottish surname from a place name
“stream of Maccus”
From a Scottish place name; the physicist James Clerk Maxwell bore it as a surname.
- Say it
- MAKS-wel
More on Wiktionary.
Is Maxwell a girl's or a boy's name?
Maxwell is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 288 boys in the UK and 15 girls and 1,924 boys in the US.
How popular is Maxwell in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #197among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 288about 1 in 1,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 22% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.3%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 288 boys in the UK were named Maxwell, making it the 197th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 171st. Its busiest year was 2012, with 564 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 9 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Maxwell than any year since 2004.
Half of all the boys named Maxwell in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 183rd in England and Wales and 269th in Scotland.
Maxwell in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 288 | #197 |
| 2024 | 299 | #190 |
| 2023 | 307 | #188 |
| 2022 | 320 | #177 |
| 2021 | 343 | #174 |
| 2020 | 349 | #171 |
| 2019 | 377 | #162 |
| 2018 | 416 | #155 |
| 2017 | 463 | #142 |
| 2016 | 532 | #129 |
| 2015 | 521 | #135 |
| 2014 | 557 | #126 |
| 2013 | 557 | #125 |
| 2012 | 564 | #128 |
| 2011 | 520 | #134 |
| 2010 | 438 | #149 |
| 2009 | 440 | #148 |
| 2008 | 411 | #153 |
| 2007 | 417 | #147 |
| 2006 | 402 | #150 |
| 2005 | 386 | #144 |
| 2004 | 266 | #177 |
| 2003 | 248 | #177 |
| 2002 | 246 | #171 |
| 2001 | 256 | #164 |
| 2000 | 219 | #175 |
| 1999 | 213 | #179 |
| 1998 | 189 | #195 |
| 1997 | 197 | #192 |
| 1996 | 172 | #207 |
How popular is Maxwell in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #189among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,924about 1 in 890 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.6%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,924 boys in the US were named Maxwell, making it the 189th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 146th. Its busiest year was 2014, with 3,739 boys. 15 girls were also named Maxwell in 2025 (7,131st for girls).
2025 had fewer boys named Maxwell than any year since 1996.
Half of all the boys named Maxwell in the US since 1880 were born between 1998 and 2015, the years shaded on the chart below.
Maxwell in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,924 | #189 |
| 2024 | 2,024 | #182 |
| 2023 | 1,992 | #182 |
| 2022 | 2,183 | #173 |
| 2021 | 2,380 | #162 |
| 2020 | 2,513 | #146 |
| 2019 | 2,637 | #147 |
| 2018 | 2,907 | #134 |
| 2017 | 3,081 | #133 |
| 2016 | 3,585 | #111 |
| 2015 | 3,553 | #113 |
| 2014 | 3,739 | #107 |
| 2013 | 3,643 | #108 |
| 2012 | 3,233 | #113 |
| 2011 | 3,056 | #132 |
| 2010 | 3,015 | #133 |
| 2009 | 3,080 | #132 |
| 2008 | 3,058 | #134 |
| 2007 | 2,713 | #153 |
| 2006 | 2,792 | #149 |
| 2005 | 2,810 | #140 |
| 2004 | 2,927 | #136 |
| 2003 | 3,086 | #132 |
| 2002 | 3,036 | #129 |
| 2001 | 3,183 | #124 |
| 2000 | 3,364 | #113 |
| 1999 | 3,338 | #106 |
| 1998 | 2,791 | #136 |
| 1997 | 2,317 | #148 |
| 1996 | 1,901 | #177 |
| 1995 | 1,838 | #178 |
| 1994 | 1,719 | #182 |
| 1993 | 1,781 | #182 |
| 1992 | 1,876 | #171 |
| 1991 | 1,724 | #188 |
| 1990 | 1,624 | #189 |
| 1989 | 1,401 | #205 |
| 1988 | 1,208 | #217 |
| 1987 | 1,018 | #231 |
| 1986 | 608 | #327 |
| 1985 | 467 | #383 |
| 1984 | 299 | #483 |
| 1983 | 220 | #569 |
| 1982 | 190 | #629 |
| 1981 | 208 | #594 |
| 1980 | 189 | #634 |
| 1979 | 150 | #698 |
| 1978 | 117 | #778 |
| 1977 | 122 | #770 |
| 1976 | 95 | #853 |
| 1975 | 102 | #822 |
| 1974 | 86 | #861 |
| 1973 | 94 | #817 |
| 1972 | 74 | #929 |
| 1971 | 56 | #1,091 |
| 1970 | 71 | #951 |
| 1969 | 79 | #861 |
| 1968 | 71 | #861 |
| 1967 | 57 | #955 |
| 1966 | 64 | #901 |
| 1965 | 65 | #920 |
| 1964 | 61 | #973 |
| 1963 | 64 | #935 |
| 1962 | 58 | #1,006 |
| 1961 | 54 | #1,058 |
| 1960 | 59 | #995 |
| 1959 | 81 | #837 |
| 1958 | 59 | #993 |
| 1957 | 66 | #927 |
| 1956 | 82 | #821 |
| 1955 | 90 | #765 |
| 1954 | 78 | #818 |
| 1953 | 66 | #883 |
| 1952 | 73 | #820 |
| 1951 | 65 | #866 |
| 1950 | 63 | #864 |
| 1949 | 59 | #898 |
| 1948 | 59 | #890 |
| 1947 | 66 | #853 |
| 1946 | 82 | #723 |
| 1945 | 52 | #864 |
| 1944 | 69 | #745 |
| 1943 | 66 | #808 |
| 1942 | 64 | #806 |
| 1941 | 65 | #770 |
| 1940 | 59 | #810 |
| 1939 | 69 | #717 |
| 1938 | 74 | #710 |
| 1937 | 53 | #835 |
| 1936 | 59 | #797 |
| 1935 | 75 | #697 |
| 1934 | 68 | #742 |
| 1933 | 68 | #740 |
| 1932 | 89 | #632 |
| 1931 | 84 | #650 |
| 1930 | 98 | #621 |
| 1929 | 127 | #520 |
| 1928 | 116 | #571 |
| 1927 | 103 | #617 |
| 1926 | 87 | #678 |
| 1925 | 113 | #592 |
| 1924 | 117 | #588 |
| 1923 | 124 | #556 |
| 1922 | 142 | #517 |
| 1921 | 109 | #605 |
| 1920 | 120 | #568 |
| 1919 | 134 | #514 |
| 1918 | 150 | #488 |
| 1917 | 147 | #470 |
| 1916 | 147 | #472 |
| 1915 | 176 | #404 |
| 1914 | 132 | #415 |
| 1913 | 121 | #385 |
| 1912 | 113 | #363 |
| 1911 | 49 | #409 |
| 1910 | 41 | #421 |
| 1909 | 29 | #473 |
| 1908 | 27 | #475 |
| 1907 | 22 | #495 |
| 1906 | 29 | #400 |
| 1905 | 23 | #463 |
| 1904 | 17 | #538 |
| 1903 | 17 | #527 |
| 1902 | 26 | #388 |
| 1901 | 18 | #453 |
| 1900 | 22 | #490 |
| 1899 | 12 | #583 |
| 1898 | 16 | #523 |
| 1897 | 21 | #411 |
| 1896 | 16 | #518 |
| 1895 | 13 | #579 |
| 1894 | 8 | #786 |
| 1893 | 13 | #538 |
| 1892 | 10 | #687 |
| 1891 | 7 | #765 |
| 1890 | 15 | #489 |
| 1889 | 11 | #581 |
| 1888 | 7 | #815 |
| 1887 | 7 | #752 |
| 1886 | 6 | #845 |
| 1885 | 8 | #700 |
| 1884 | 8 | #701 |
| 1883 | 10 | #597 |
| 1882 | 6 | #836 |
| 1881 | 0 | – |
| 1880 | 9 | #640 |
Nicknames for Maxwell
- Max 1,240 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Maxwell
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Mason Logan Austin Caleb Hunter Gabriel Marley Noah Jonah Lucas Isaac Eli
Names related to Maxwell
More Scottish names
Isla Finley Arabella Cameron Bonnie Paisley Brody Carson Brodie Finlay Blair Lennox Skye Knox Dallas Lochlan