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.
- #295 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #189 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 108,732
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Maxwell is the #189 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 #189 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.
- #295 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #189 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 108,732 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Maxwell ranks #295 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #189 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 108,732 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #295 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #189 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 108,732
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
Maxwell's 108,732 recorded births place it above 99.35% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Maxwell compares
108,732 Top 3% higher than 97% of 13,930 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 295x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Maxwell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 108,732 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,739 | 34 | 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 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
2010s is the heaviest window (32,449 births, 30% of the file).
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 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% |
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
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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
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
Compare Maxwell side by side: Maxwell vs Max Maxwell vs Maximus Maxwell vs Maximiliano
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Maxwell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Maxwell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2014)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.