Maxwell means great stream — from the Scottish Gaelic Maccus's well/stream. James Clerk Maxwell unified electricity, magnetism, and light — arguably the most important physics discovery between Newton and Einstein. The Beatles' Maxwell's Silver Hammer is one of their most darkly playful songs. Maxwell is Max in a dinner jacket: same superlative energy, more formal occasion.
Scottish Gaelic Maccus (a personal name) + Old English wella (well/stream)→Maxwell
1
Scottish roots
Maxwell comes from a Scottish place name meaning Maccus's stream. James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) formulated Maxwell's equations, which unified electricity, magnetism, and light — Einstein called this work the most profound physics has experienced since Newton. The Beatles' Maxwell's Silver Hammer is a darkly playful song from Abbey Road. Maxwell has been climbing the US charts.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Medieval as a Scottish place name and surname; James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879).
3
Today
Maxwell remains a beloved choice, ranking #148 in the US. 107,524 babies have been named Maxwell since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of Family Names, SSA data
◆
How popular is Maxwell?
2014peak year
The name Maxwell reached its peak in 2014, with 3,739 registrations (ranked #107). The name has actually been around since 1880 — over a century — though it took until recently to find its widest audience. Since the peak, the name has eased to around #148 today, averaging about 2,736 new babies per year. Maxwell has been declining in recent years. Across all years on record, approximately 107,524 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
3,739 Babies named in peak year (ranked #107)
2,736Avg. per year (last decade)
27,360Total registrations last 10 years
107,524All-time total (since 1880)
Popularity in the US today (rank #148)Very popular
Maxwell's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — achieving between Newton and Einstein. People named Maxwell tend to be brilliant, distinguished, and capable of unifying things others see as separate.
Every name has a homeland. Discover strong boy names rooted in cultures from around the world — each with full meanings, origin stories and pronunciation.