boy's name
Paxton
PAKS-tun (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 31,708
the United States
#338
2025 births
Paxton is a boy's name of English origin meaning "Pæcc's farmstead". It names villages in Huntingdonshire and Berwickshire and has nothing to do with the Latin pax, peace — a connection many sources make and place-name scholarship does not support.
- Paxton is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 2,084 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,197 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1921.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Paxton Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 33 |
| 1930s | 16 |
| 1940s | 20 |
| 1950s | 28 |
| 1960s | 124 |
| 1970s | 332 |
| 1980s | 219 |
| 1990s | 1,517 |
| 2000s | 3,970 |
| 2010s | 16,101 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,958 |
What Paxton Means
Paxton means the settlement belonging to a man called Pæcc. The first element is a personal name, not a word for peace, and the second is tun, the Old English enclosure or farmstead that ends thousands of English place names.
Where Paxton Comes From
Paxton is a habitational surname from Great and Little Paxton in Huntingdonshire and Paxton in Berwickshire, recorded in Old English as Pæccestun, the farmstead of Pæcc. Pæcc is an Old English personal name of uncertain sense; the tun ending is among the most common in English toponymy. The frequent claim that the name means peaceful town, from the Latin pax, is a modern folk etymology — Latin peace words did not form Old English place names in this way. Joseph Paxton, who designed the Crystal Palace for the Great Exhibition of 1851, is the surname's most famous bearer.
Paxton in Use
Paxton charts in only three markets and peaked in 2016.
How Popular Is Paxton?
In 2025, Paxton was given to 1,037 babies in the United States, ranking #338 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Paxton 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 Paxton
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Paxton Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Paxton over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Paxton
- English PAKS-tun /ˈpækstən/
1 nickname for Paxton
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.
Paxton 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.
Sibling Names for Paxton
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Paxton — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Paxton
What does the name Paxton mean?
Pæcc's farmstead, from an Old English personal name plus tun, a settlement.
Does Paxton mean peace?
No. The link to the Latin pax is a modern folk etymology; the first element is a personal name.
Is Paxton a boy's or a girl's name?
It is given almost entirely to boys.
How popular is the name Paxton?
In 2025, Paxton was given to 1,037 babies in the United States, ranking #338 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Paxton?
Paxton has 2 syllables.
When was Paxton most popular?
Paxton peaked in 2016, when 2,084 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Paxton?
Paxton is usually shortened to Pax.
Is Paxton a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Paxton currently ranks #338 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.