Maxwell is a Scottish surname and place name that means "Mack's stream" or "Maccus's well", after a spot on the River Tweed named for a Norse settler. Physicist James Clerk Maxwell is its most distinguished bearer, and the short form Max gives it everyday ease. Maxwell ranked number 113 in the United States in 2000, peaked at number 107 in 2014 and has stayed inside the top 200 for the past decade, standing at number 189 in 2025.