Last Name MAXWELL

Summary/Contribute


Meaning Local: from the lands of Macchuswell, now Maxwell, in Dumfriesshire. The family are descended from Herbert de Macchuswell.
One 'Macchus,' in the eleventh century, obtained lands, on the Tweed, in Scotland, from Prince David, to which he gave the name of 'Macchus-ville,' since corrupted to 'Maxwell.' Maxwell is 'Macsual,' in Gaelic, from 'Mac,' son, and 'sual,' small, little.
Origin Scottish, Jewish, Spanish, Irish, Falkland, Maori, South african, Kenyan

Rank 458 (2000 US census) 404 (1990 US census)
Count 65,779 (2000 US census)

Race / ethnic distribution

The 2000 US Census claims that
  • 75.79%, or 49854 total occurrences, of those with this family name identified themselves as being white,
  • 19.66%, or 12932 total occurrences, as black,
  • 0.43%, or 283 total occurrences, as Asian and Pacific Islander,
  • 0.59%, or 388 total occurrences, as American Indian and Native Alaskan,
  • 1.7%, or 1118 total occurrences, as two or more races, and
  • 1.82%, or 1197 total occurrences, as Hispanic ethnic origin.


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