NameCensus.

UK surname

Maxwell

A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Mack" or "son of Maxwell," likely derived from a placename.

In the 1881 census there were 7,122 people recorded with the Maxwell surname, ranking it #595 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,477, ranked #523, up from #595 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Castle Douglas, Langholm and Eskdale and Kirkcudbright.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maxwell is 12,545 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 75.2%.

1881 census count

7,122

Ranked #595

Modern count

12,477

2016, ranked #523

Peak year

2010

12,545 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maxwell had 7,122 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #595 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,477 in 2016, ranked #523.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,951 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Maxwell surname distribution map

The map shows where the Maxwell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Maxwell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maxwell over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4,605 #605
1861 historical 4,785 #591
1881 historical 7,122 #595
1891 historical 7,614 #593
1901 historical 8,951 #590
1911 historical 4,502 #1,143
1997 modern 11,097 #551
1998 modern 11,571 #550
1999 modern 11,678 #549
2000 modern 11,598 #549
2001 modern 11,325 #550
2002 modern 11,679 #541
2003 modern 11,517 #539
2004 modern 11,478 #542
2005 modern 11,370 #542
2006 modern 11,503 #537
2007 modern 11,663 #536
2008 modern 11,828 #532
2009 modern 12,191 #530
2010 modern 12,545 #530
2011 modern 12,305 #531
2012 modern 12,181 #528
2013 modern 12,443 #528
2014 modern 12,530 #528
2015 modern 12,455 #525
2016 modern 12,477 #523

Geography

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Where Maxwells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, London parishes, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Castle Douglas, Langholm and Eskdale, Kirkcudbright, Thornhill and Dalbeattie. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Govan Combination Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Castle Douglas Dumfries and Galloway
2 Langholm and Eskdale Dumfries and Galloway
3 Kirkcudbright Dumfries and Galloway
4 Thornhill Dumfries and Galloway
5 Dalbeattie Dumfries and Galloway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maxwell

These lists show first names that appear often with the Maxwell surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maxwell

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Maxwell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Maxwell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Maxwell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Maxwell is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Maxwell is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Maxwell falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Maxwell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Maxwell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Maxwell

The surname Maxwell has its origins in Scotland, first appearing in the early 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mæssere" meaning "monk" and "welle" meaning "stream", referring to a monastery or chapel near a stream or spring. The name likely originated in the area around the town of Maxwell in Roxburghshire, Scotland.

The earliest recorded reference to the surname is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where Aymer de Maxwell is listed as a landowner who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. Another early record is from the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1390, which mentions John de Maxwell of Caerlaverock.

The Maxwell family played a prominent role in Scottish history, with several members holding important positions and titles. One notable figure was Sir Herbert Maxwell, who was appointed Lord Maxwell in 1445 and later became the 1st Lord Maxwell. Another was Robert Maxwell, the 5th Lord Maxwell (c.1493-1546), who fought against the English at the Battle of Solway Moss in 1542.

In England, the name is also found in early records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mentions a Richard Maxwell. The Maxwells were also landowners in Northumberland and Cumberland, with the village of Maxwell in Cumbria likely named after them.

Other historical figures with the surname Maxwell include:

1. James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879), a Scottish scientist who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and physics, including the development of the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation.

2. Constantine Maxwell (c.1592-1622), a Scottish poet and courtier during the reign of King James VI of Scotland and I of England.

3. Sir Murray Maxwell (1775-1831), a Scottish naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonial governor.

4. William Maxwell (1908-2000), an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his works "The Folded Leaf" and "So Long, See You Tomorrow".

5. John Maxwell (c.1590-1647), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maxwell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maxwell surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 1,234 Maxwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.50x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,234 5.50x
Lancashire 783 0.95x
Middlesex 407 0.59x
Dumfriesshire 361 23.54x
Midlothian 346 3.72x
Angus 296 4.60x
Kirkcudbrightshire 292 29.06x
Renfrewshire 272 5.06x
Cumberland 267 4.47x
Northumberland 254 2.46x
Ayrshire 240 4.62x
Durham 235 1.14x
Surrey 210 0.62x
Yorkshire 206 0.30x
Stirlingshire 196 7.66x
Kent 130 0.55x
Fife 116 2.82x
Cheshire 109 0.71x
Wigtownshire 93 10.09x
Hampshire 70 0.49x
Perthshire 69 2.21x
Staffordshire 65 0.28x
Orkney 60 7.86x
Roxburghshire 58 4.61x
Dunbartonshire 54 2.89x
Essex 50 0.36x
East Lothian 38 4.13x
Sussex 33 0.28x
Warwickshire 33 0.19x
Devon 32 0.22x
Argyllshire 31 1.60x
Somerset 31 0.28x
Derbyshire 28 0.26x
West Lothian 28 2.68x
Nottinghamshire 26 0.28x
Lincolnshire 23 0.21x
Northamptonshire 20 0.31x
Aberdeenshire 18 0.28x
Cambridgeshire 16 0.36x
Hertfordshire 16 0.33x
Royal Navy 15 1.81x
Berkshire 14 0.27x
Buteshire 14 3.33x
Glamorgan 14 0.12x
Selkirkshire 14 2.23x
Monmouthshire 13 0.26x
Buckinghamshire 12 0.29x
Clackmannanshire 12 2.09x
Bedfordshire 11 0.31x
Isle of Man 11 0.85x
Gloucestershire 10 0.07x
Channel Islands 9 0.44x
Denbighshire 9 0.34x
Inverness-shire 9 0.43x
Norfolk 9 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 8 0.58x
Leicestershire 8 0.10x
Sutherland 8 1.50x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.25x
Worcestershire 7 0.08x
Cornwall 6 0.08x
Banffshire 5 0.35x
Flintshire 4 0.21x
Kincardineshire 4 0.47x
Montgomeryshire 4 0.25x
Ross-shire 4 0.21x
Rutland 4 0.78x
Berwickshire 3 0.36x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.14x
Westmorland 3 0.20x
Wiltshire 3 0.05x
Brecknockshire 2 0.14x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.07x
Morayshire 2 0.19x
Radnorshire 2 0.36x
Dorset 1 0.02x
Herefordshire 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.02x
Shropshire 1 0.02x
Suffolk 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 284 Maxwells recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.11x.

Place Total Index
Govan 284 5.11x
Barony 218 3.84x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 172 4.60x
Glasgow 154 3.86x
Dundee 107 4.46x
New Monkland 92 13.86x
Liverpool 88 1.76x
Bothwell 72 11.83x
Everton 67 2.55x
Troqueer 65 49.31x
Hamilton 64 10.22x
Abbey 51 6.21x
Polmont 51 53.96x
Manchester 50 1.35x
Toxteth Park 49 1.76x
Cambuslang 48 21.21x
Morton 48 94.30x
Urr 48 36.72x
Rutherglen 45 13.66x
Eastwood 44 13.28x
Salford 40 1.65x
St Pancras London 39 0.70x
West Derby 39 1.62x
Cambusnethan 38 7.62x
Bermondsey 37 1.79x
Longbenton 37 8.46x
Dumfries 36 23.80x
Falkirk 36 6.01x
Lambeth 36 0.59x
Blantyre 35 14.98x
Kilwinning 35 20.86x
Old Monkland 35 3.93x
Forfar 34 9.76x
West Ham 34 1.12x
St Cuthbert W O 33 11.33x
Stronsay Eday 33 66.07x
Liff Benvie 32 3.28x
Montrose 32 8.21x
Kensington London 30 0.78x
Kilsyth 30 18.38x
Canonbie 29 44.51x
Kirkdale 29 2.09x
Paddington London 29 1.14x
St George Hanover 29 3.20x
Barrow In Furness 28 2.50x
Bishopwearmouth 28 1.58x
Paisley High Church 28 6.54x
Elswick 27 3.28x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 27 4.38x
West Greenock 27 2.80x
Kirkcudbright 26 31.27x
Shoreditch London 26 0.86x
Arbroath 25 11.73x
Glossop Dale 25 4.91x
Haslingden 25 7.33x
Langholm 25 22.68x
Lasswade 25 11.76x
East Greenock 24 4.72x
Islington London 24 0.36x
Pendleton In Salford 24 2.45x
Tynemouth 24 4.34x
Westgate 24 3.75x
Chirton 23 9.84x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 23 2.57x
Hoddam 23 62.25x
Paisley Middle Church 23 7.34x
Rockcliff 23 123.79x
Castleton 22 2.67x
Penpont 22 78.07x
St Vigeans 22 6.34x
Dalserf 21 9.37x
Hackney London 21 0.54x
Kirkintilloch 21 8.29x
Gateshead 20 1.29x
Kilmarnock 20 3.23x
Newcastle On Tyne St 20 3.74x
St Ninians 20 7.88x
Crosscanonby 19 9.61x
Kelton 19 23.02x
Kettle 19 38.52x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Maxwell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 240
Elizabeth 112
Jane 89
Ann 82
Margaret 78
Sarah 71
Annie 46
Ellen 46
Isabella 43
Emily 35
Alice 34
Martha 34
Agnes 33
Emma 31
Eliza 28
Catherine 27
Hannah 20
Fanny 19
Edith 18
Florence 18
Frances 17
Louisa 17
Eleanor 14
Helen 14
Janet 14
Susan 14
Ada 13
Anne 13
Clara 13
Maria 13
Jessie 12
Kate 12
Amy 9
Caroline 9
Grace 9
Harriet 9
Charlotte 8
Matilda 8
Rachel 8
Rose 8
Julia 7
Esther 6
Betsy 5
Bridget 5
Marion 5
Rebecca 5
Selina 5
Sophia 5
Susannah 5
Winifred 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Maxwell surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 226
William 198
James 160
Thomas 118
Robert 91
George 56
Charles 44
Edward 42
Henry 40
David 32
Joseph 31
Alfred 27
Alexander 22
Walter 22
Arthur 20
Richard 17
Albert 14
Patrick 13
Samuel 13
Wm. 13
Frederick 12
Harry 12
Michael 12
Herbert 10
Thos. 10
Edwin 9
Frank 9
Francis 7
Ernest 6
Fred 6
Hugh 6
Peter 6
Robt. 6
Andrew 5
Jno. 5
Tom 5
Adam 4
Archibald 4
Chas. 4
Christopher 4
Homer 4
Jacob 4
Philip 4
Stephen 4
Daniel 3
Jas. 3
Jonathan 3
Matthew 3
Sidney 3
Stanley 3

FAQ

Maxwell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maxwell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 7,122 people were recorded with the Maxwell surname. That placed it at #595 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maxwell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,477 in 2016. That gives Maxwell a modern rank of #523.

What does the Maxwell surname mean?

A Scottish patronymic surname meaning "son of Mack" or "son of Maxwell," likely derived from a placename.

What does the Maxwell map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Maxwell bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.