UK boy's name
Paxton
An Old English masculine name derived from "Pacca's town".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Paxton is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Paxton popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1951, with 12 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2023, with 23 births.
This profile covers 104 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2012 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 52% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 103 living people in the UK are called Paxton. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Paxton ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 12 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2023, when 23 boys were registered as Paxton.
- • About 103 living people in the UK are estimated to have Paxton as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1951
2024
Births in 2024
12
Latest year
Peak year
2023
23 births
Estimated living
103
2026
Meaning
What does Paxton mean?
The name Paxton is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "paec" meaning peacock and "tun" meaning town or enclosure. The name likely originated in the medieval period, referring to a town or village where peacocks were kept or where there was a large population of peacocks.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Paxton can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was used as a surname referring to people from the town of Paxton in Huntingdonshire, England. The name gradually transitioned into being used as a given name in later centuries.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the first name Paxton was Paxton Fleming, an English musician and composer who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Another notable individual was Paxton Boys, the leader of a group of settlers who protested against the British colonial government's policies towards Native Americans in Pennsylvania in the 1760s.
In the 19th century, Paxton Tate was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons. Paxton Hibben, born in 1842, was an American Presbyterian minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
Fast forward to the 20th century, Paxton Bloomingdale was an American businessman who served as the chairman of the department store chain Bloomingdale's from 1925 to 1947. Paxton Whitehead, born in 1937, is a British actor known for his roles in various films and television shows.
While the name Paxton has its roots in England, it has gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, where it has been used as both a given name and a surname.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Paxton over time
The chart below shows babies named Paxton registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2012 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Paxton, the clearest high point is 2023. The latest England and Wales figure is 12 births in 2024, compared with 23 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Paxton by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Paxton was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1712 | 76 | 5 |
| 2010s | #4121 | 28 | 7 |
Related
Names similar to Paxton
- Patrick 17,559
- Peter 13,150
- Paul 8,542
- Philip 4,997
- Parker 4,664
- Phoenix 3,865
- Preston 3,370
- Prince 1,782
- Patryk 1,763
- Phillip 1,697
- Percy 1,395
- Perry 1,015
FAQ
Paxton: questions and answers
How popular is the name Paxton in the UK right now?
In 2024, Paxton was ranked #1951 for boys in England and Wales, with 12 births registered.
When was Paxton most popular?
The peak year on record was 2023, with 23 babies registered as Paxton in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Paxton?
An Old English masculine name derived from "Pacca's town".
How many people are called Paxton in the UK?
A total of 104 babies have been registered as Paxton across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.