Maxwell Family History

Maxwell Surname Meaning

Scottish: habitational name from a place in Kelso near Melrose in Roxburghshire, the name of a salmon pool on the Tweed near Kelso Bridge. The placename is first recorded in 1144 in the form Mackeswell ‘Mack's spring or stream’ (Old English well(a)).

Irish: adopted for Ó Meisceall, see Miskell. This surname is common in Ulster.

Jewish: arbitrary adoption of the Scottish name or Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Haswell, Farwell, Banwell, Bagwell, Boxwell, Madewell, Foxwell, Mansell, Harwell, Adwell

570K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
83K	Military Records
67K	Immigration Records
461K	Census and Voter Lists
1M	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Maxwell family from?

You can see how Maxwell families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Maxwell family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Maxwell families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 559 Maxwell families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Maxwell's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Maxwell families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Maxwell surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Maxwell

What did your Maxwell ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Maxwell. 36% of Maxwell men worked as a Farmer and 17% of Maxwell women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Maxwell were Carpenter and Income.

View Census Data for Maxwell

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

36%

Laborer

Labourer

Carpenter

Stenographer

17%

Housekeeper

10%

Clerk

Income

What Maxwell family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 461K census records available for the last name Maxwell. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Maxwell census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Maxwell

Passenger List

There are 67K immigration records available for the last name Maxwell. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Maxwell immigration records

Military Records

There are 83K military records available for the last name Maxwell. For the veterans among your Maxwell ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Maxwell military records

You've only scratched the surface of Maxwell family history

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What is the average Maxwell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Maxwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Maxwell in 1942 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Maxwell family tree

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Maxwell Surname Meaning

Irish: adopted for Ó Meisceall, see Miskell. This surname is common in Ulster.

Jewish: arbitrary adoption of the Scottish name or Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Maxwell family from?

What did your Maxwell ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

36%

Laborer

Labourer

Carpenter

Stenographer

17%

Housekeeper

10%

Clerk

Income

What Maxwell family records will you find?

What is the average Maxwell lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Maxwell life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Maxwell in 1942 was 35, and 74 in 2004.

Maxwell Family History

Maxwell Surname Meaning

2 million record(s) for Maxwell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Maxwell family from?

What did your Maxwell ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Maxwell family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Maxwell family history

What is the average Maxwell lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Maxwell family tree

Search for another surname

Maxwell Surname Meaning

2 million record(s) for Maxwell

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Maxwell family from?

What did your Maxwell ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Maxwell family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Maxwell family history

What is the average Maxwell lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Maxwell family tree

Search for another surname