Maxwell (surname)
Encyclopedia
Maxwell is an Irish, Jewish
, and Scottish surname
. The Scottish name is a habitational name, derived from a location near Melrose
, in Roxburghshire
, Scotland. This name was first recorded in 1144, as Mackeswell, meaning "Mack's spring (or stream)" (from the Old English well[a].). See also Clan Maxwell. The surname Maxwell is also common in Ulster
; where it has, in some cases, been adopted as alternate form of the surname Miskell. The surname Maxwell is also used as a Jewish surname
, either as an adoption of the Scottish name, or as an Americanization
of one of several like-sounding Jewish surnames. The surname Maxwell is represented in Scottish Gaelic as MacSual.
Jewish surname
Jews have historically used Hebrew patronymic names. In the Jewish patronymic system the first name is followed by either ben- or bat- , and then the father's name....
, and Scottish surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
. The Scottish name is a habitational name, derived from a location near Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
, in Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
, Scotland. This name was first recorded in 1144, as Mackeswell, meaning "Mack's spring (or stream)" (from the Old English well[a].). See also Clan Maxwell. The surname Maxwell is also common in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
; where it has, in some cases, been adopted as alternate form of the surname Miskell. The surname Maxwell is also used as a Jewish surname
Jewish surname
Jews have historically used Hebrew patronymic names. In the Jewish patronymic system the first name is followed by either ben- or bat- , and then the father's name....
, either as an adoption of the Scottish name, or as an Americanization
Americanization
Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
of one of several like-sounding Jewish surnames. The surname Maxwell is represented in Scottish Gaelic as MacSual.
People
- Andrew MaxwellAndrew MaxwellAndrew Maxwell is an Irish stand-up comedian. Raised in Kilbarrack, Dublin, and now resident in London, he is a father of two. He regularly appears on The Panel.-Early life:...
(born 1974), Irish stand-up comedian - Anna MaxwellAnna MaxwellAnna Caroline Maxwell , was a nurse who came to be known by the nickname "the American Florence Nightingale". Her pioneering activities were crucial to the growth of professional nursing in the U.S.-Early career:...
(1851–1929), American nurse - Augustus MaxwellAugustus MaxwellAugustus Emmett Maxwell was a United States Representative from Florida as well as a senator in the Confederate Congress representing Florida.-Early life:...
(1820–1903), American politician - Brian MaxwellBrian MaxwellBrian Leigh Maxwell was a Canadian athlete, track coach, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded PowerBar, a maker of energy and nutritional products for athletes....
(1953–2004), Canadian athlete and founder of PowerBar - Carmen MaxwellCarmen MaxwellCarman Griffin "Max" Maxwell was an American animator and voice actor.Maxwell was born in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and later moved to Kansas City, Missouri...
(1902–1987), American animator - Cedric MaxwellCedric MaxwellCedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
(born 1955), American basketball player - Charlie MaxwellCharlie MaxwellCharles Richard Maxwell , nicknamed "Smokey," "Paw Paw," , "Sunday Punch" and "Sunday Charlie," is a former professional baseball outfielder...
(born 1927), American baseball player - Chenoa MaxwellChenoa MaxwellChenoa Maxwell is an American actress and photographer.-Career:Maxwell is best known for her starring role in the 1997 romantic comedy Hav Plenty and as the recurring character Lena Turner on the hit UPN sitcom Girlfriends...
(born 1969), American actress and photographer - Col MaxwellCol MaxwellColin Maxwell was an Australian international rugby league footballer whose career ran from the 1930s to the 1950s. He was a centre for the Australian national team. He played in 1 Test in 1948 in which he captained the side.-Club career:...
(1917–2001), Australian rugby league footballer - Corty MaxwellCorty MaxwellCortez "Corty" Maxwell was a professional baseball umpire.Maxwell umpired three National Association games in , as the home plate umpire. -References:...
(1851-1925), American professional baseball umpire - David Maxwell (disambiguation), multiple people
- Elsa MaxwellElsa MaxwellElsa Maxwell was an American gossip columnist and author, songwriter, and professional hostess renowned for her parties for royalty and high society figures of her day....
(1883–1963), American gossip columnist and socialite - Gavin MaxwellGavin MaxwellGavin Maxwell FRSL, FIAL, FZS , FRGS was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his work with otters. He wrote the book Ring of Bright Water about how he brought an otter back from Iraq and raised it in Scotland...
(1914–1969), British naturalist - Gilbert MaxwellGilbert Maxwell-Books:Gilbert, who was a friend of Tennessee Williams, wrote several books, including “Tennessee Williams and Friends: an Informal Biography” and “Helen Morgan: Her Life and Legend” New York: Hawthorn Books. ISBN 0-8015-4526-9..” .-Poetry:...
(1910–1979) American poet, actor, and author - Graham MaxwellGraham MaxwellArthur Graham Crowder Maxwell , often abbreviated as A. Graham Maxwell, was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and the emeritus professor of New Testament studies at Loma Linda University...
, American theologian - Henry Maxwell, 7th Baron FarnhamHenry Maxwell, 7th Baron FarnhamHenry Maxwell, 7th Baron Farnham KP was an Irish peer and Member of Parliament.Farnham was the son of Henry Maxwell, 6th Baron Farnham, and Lady Anne Butler. He was elected to the House of Commons for County Cavan in 1824, a seat he continued to represent until 1838...
(1799–1868), Irish politician - Hugh MaxwellHugh MaxwellHugh Maxwell was an American lawyer and politician from New York.-Life:He graduated from Columbia College in 1808. Then he studied law and was admitted to the bar....
(1787–1873), New York County District Attorney and Collector of the Port of New York - James Maxwell (disambiguation), multiple people
- John Maxwell (disambiguation), multiple people
- Joseph MaxwellJoseph MaxwellJoseph "Joe" Maxwell VC, MC & Bar, DCM was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of British and Commonwealth armed forces...
(1896–1967), Australian soldier - Kenneth R. Maxwell (born 1941) British historian
- Lily Maxwell, the first woman to voteWomen's suffrage in the United KingdomWomen's suffrage in the United Kingdom as a national movement began in 1872. Women were not prohibited from voting in the United Kingdom until the 1832 Reform Act and the 1835 Municipal Corporations Act...
in Britain (1867) - Lois MaxwellLois MaxwellLois Maxwell was a Canadian actress.Maxwell began her film career in the late 1940s, and won a Golden Globe Award for the New Actress of the Year for her performance in That Hagen Girl...
(1927–2007), Canadian actress - Marcus MaxwellMarcus MaxwellMarcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
(born 1983), American football player - Marilyn MaxwellMarilyn MaxwellMarilyn Maxwell , born Marvel Marilyn Maxwell, was an American actress and entertainer.Noted for her blonde hair and sexually alluring persona, she appeared in several films and radio programs, and entertained the troops during World War II and the Korean War on USO tours with Bob Hope.-Career:She...
(1921–1972), American actress - Maxwell BaronetsMaxwell Baronets-Maxwell of Calderwood:The Maxwell Baronetcy of Calderwood was created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia in 1627.The Baronetage of Nova Scotia was devised in 1624 as a means of settling the plantation of that province...
, created in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia in 1627 - Neal A. MaxwellNeal A. MaxwellNeal Ash Maxwell was an apostle and a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1981 until his death.-Life:...
(1926–2004), American religious leader - Nicholas MaxwellNicholas MaxwellNicholas Maxwell is a philosopher who has devoted much of his working life to arguing that there is an urgent need to bring about a revolution in academia so that it seeks and promotes wisdom and does not just acquire knowledge....
(born1937), philosopher at UCL - Robert Maxwell (disambiguation)Robert Maxwell (disambiguation)Robert Maxwell was a British media proprietor and Member of Parliament.Robert Maxwell may also refer to:*Robert Maxwell, 5th Lord Maxwell , Scottish statesman*Robert Maxwell , writer on agriculture...
, multiple people - Robin Maxwell (author)Robin Maxwell (author)Robin Maxwell is an American historical novelist who specializes in the Tudor period. She is also a screenwriter and political blogger....
(born 1948), American writer - Ronald F. MaxwellRonald F. MaxwellRonald F. Maxwell is an independent film director and writer from Clifton, New Jersey. He is most famous for writing and directing the American Civil War epics Gettysburg, 1993 and Gods and Generals, 2003....
(born 1947), American film director and writer - Russell MaxwellRussell MaxwellRussell L. Maxwell was an officer in the U.S. Army.Shortly before United States entry into World War II, Maxwell was sent to North Africa as head of the US Military North African Mission. He was the Lend Lease coordinator in the area. Maxwell became the Commanding General US Army Forces in the...
, American general - Steamer MaxwellSteamer MaxwellFred G. "Steamer" Maxwell was a Canadian amateur ice hockey defenseman who played for the Winnipeg Monarchs. He led the Monarchs to the 1915 Allan Cup...
(1890–1975), Canadian ice hockey player - Stephen MaxwellStephen MaxwellStephen Maxwell is a Scottish nationalist.He came to prominence in the 1970s when he was elected to the Lothian Regional Council at a by-election for Wester Hailes in Edinburgh as a Scottish National Party candidate. He became a leading figure in the socialist 79 Group within the SNP and stood...
(born 1940), Scottish nationalist - Stewart MaxwellStewart MaxwellStewart Maxwell was the Minister for Communities and Sport from 2007–2009 and Member of the Scottish Parliament for the West of Scotland, being elected as a Scottish National Party , Additional Members System member at the 2003 election. Maxwell attended before graduating from Glasgow College of...
(born 1963), Scottish politician - Tony MaxwellTony MaxwellTony Maxwell is an American musician.From 1991 to 1997 he was the drummer for the band That Dog. After the breakup of the band, he worked as composer on the films Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl....
, American drummer and choreographer - Vernon MaxwellVernon MaxwellVernon Maxwell is a former American college and professional basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Maxwell played college basketball for the University of Florida, and led the Florida Gators...
(born 1965), American basketball player - William Maxwell (disambiguation), multiple people