boy's name
Maxwell
MAKS-wel
- Origin Scottish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 128,622
the United States
#189
2025 births
Maxwell is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "Mack's pool." It comes from a spot on the River Tweed near Kelso — and has nothing to do with Maximilian, despite Max serving both.
- Maxwell is a name of Scottish origin.
- Peaked in 2014, when 3,773 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,710 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Maxwell over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 72 |
| 1890s | 131 |
| 1900s | 230 |
| 1910s | 1,218 |
| 1920s | 1,158 |
| 1930s | 737 |
| 1940s | 641 |
| 1950s | 723 |
| 1960s | 632 |
| 1970s | 967 |
| 1980s | 5,832 |
| 1990s | 20,955 |
| 2000s | 30,108 |
| 2010s | 32,805 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,258 |
What Maxwell means
Maxwell means the pool belonging to Mack. The elements are the personal name Maccus, a Norse form, and wella, a spring or pool, so the name is a place rather than a quality.
Where Maxwell comes from
Maxwell comes from a place on the River Tweed near Kelso, where a salmon pool belonged to a man named Maccus — a Scots form of the Norse Magnus. Wella is the Old English for a spring or pool, giving Maccus's wiel, worn down to Maxwell. The family became powerful Border lords. James Clerk Maxwell, whose equations unified electricity, magnetism and light in the 1860s, is the name's most consequential bearer. It is entirely unrelated to Maximilian, though Max shortens both.
Maxwell in use
Our data shows Maxwell stable, peaking in 2014, at 183 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1880. Max, on this site separately, shortens both Maxwell and Maximilian — two names with no common root, which is why our Max entry gives two different meanings.
How popular is Maxwell?
In 2025, Maxwell was given to 1,939 babies in the United States, ranking #189 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Maxwell is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Maxwell
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maxwell also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maxwell over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Maxwell
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Maxwell in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Maxwel
Sibling names for Maxwell
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Maxwell — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Maxwell
What does the name Maxwell mean?
Maxwell means "Mack's pool" — a salmon pool on the River Tweed belonging to a man named Maccus.
Is Maxwell related to Maximilian?
No. They are unrelated names, though Max shortens both.
Who was James Clerk Maxwell?
The Scottish physicist whose equations unified electricity, magnetism and light in the 1860s.
How popular is the name Maxwell?
In 2025, Maxwell was given to 1,939 babies in the United States, ranking #189 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Maxwell a girl's or a boy's name?
Maxwell is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maxwell?
Maxwell has 2 syllables.
When was Maxwell most popular?
Maxwell peaked in 2014, when 3,773 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Maxwell?
Maxwell is usually shortened to Max and Maxy.
Is Maxwell a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maxwell currently ranks #172 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.