Total births
108,732
Boys' name · since 1880
Maxwell
Maxwell has 108,732 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2014 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #182
- among boys today
- 108,732
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Maxwell is the #182 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 108,732 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Maxwell recorded 108,732 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #182 nationally today, ahead of 99% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #182 among boys today
- 108,732 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Maxwell is currently the #182 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 108,732 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #182
- among boys today
- 108,732
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Maxwell vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#182
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Maxwell was born in this single decade.
2014
Single peak year
3,739 babies were named Maxwell in 2014 - its busiest year on record.
How Maxwell compares
108,732 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Maxwell's all-time total is 296x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Maxwell | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 108,732 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,739 | 23 | 22,252 |
Maxwell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Maxwell splits its recorded history at 1953: 96% of all births land in the more recent half, 4% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1882 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2014 peak of 3,739 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Maxwell at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2014
Current rank
#182
Active since
1880
Maxwell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2014)
- 3,739
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Maxwell popularity over time - girls
735 total births recorded since 1917 (Maxwell as girls' name)
Maxwell by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Maxwell's strongest decade.
32,449 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Maxwell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 72
1880s
72 births
- 1890s 131
1890s
131 births
- 1900s 230
1900s
230 births
- 1910s 1,210
1910s
1,210 births
- 1920s 1,158
1920s
1,158 births
- 1930s 737
1930s
737 births
- 1940s 641
1940s
641 births
- 1950s 723
1950s
723 births
- 1960s 632
1960s
632 births
- 1970s 967
1970s
967 births
- 1980s 5,808
1980s
5,808 births
- 1990s
1990s
20,909 births
- 2000s
2000s
30,049 births
- 2010s
2010s
32,449 births
- 2020s
2020s
13,016 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 32,449 births (30% of all-time use).
How Maxwell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Maxwell's total volume
Maxwell vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Maxwell by state
Where Maxwell concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 11,797 | 10.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 7,441 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 5,543 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 5,403 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 4,708 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 4,639 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Texas | | 4,603 | 4.2% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 4,163 | 3.8% |
California share of Maxwell's total US births 10.8%
Even split
11,797 of 108,732 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Maxwell appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Maxwell? ▼
Maxwell has been given to 108,732 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #182 as of the latest data. 3,739 babies were born in 2014, its single highest year.
When was Maxwell most popular? ▼
Maxwell was most popular in the 2010s decade with 32,449 total births. The single peak year was 2014.
Where is Maxwell most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Maxwell are California (11,797 births), New York (7,441 births), Ohio (5,543 births).
How long has the name Maxwell been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Maxwell since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Maxwell? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Max, Maximus, Maximiliano, Maximilian, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Maxwell's data
- Maxwell's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (32,449 total births) through the 2020s (13,016) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Maxwells (11,797 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Maxwell
Nearby Names Like Maxwell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Maxwell
Max Boy
#175 167,458 births
Maximus Boy
#331 34,662 births
Maximiliano Boy
#299 23,972 births
Maximilian Boy
#586 18,940 births
Maximo Boy
#590 9,223 births
Compare Maxwell side by side: Maxwell vs Max Maxwell vs Maximus Maxwell vs Maximiliano
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Maxwell
Emmanuel #181
91,079 births · Peak 2008
Ryker #183
41,204 births · Peak 2018
Antonio #180
262,995 births · Peak 1997
Nicolas #184
101,585 births · Peak 2003
Felix #179
83,508 births · Peak 2024
Jesse #185
432,428 births · Peak 1981
Judah #178
35,578 births · Peak 2021
Alejandro #186
146,624 births · Peak 2001
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Maxwell: #182 Boys' Name - 108,732 Births, Peak 2014." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/maxwell. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Maxwell draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.