Maxson
A surname often understood as a patronymic form of Max, meaning “son of Max” or “son of Maxwell,” though its exact origin is not firmly settled.
The #7,287 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 67,515 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Maxson is most straightforwardly read as an English patronymic surname built from the personal name Max, with the suffix -son meaning “son of.” In practice, Max may be a short form of Maxim, Maxwell, or Maximus, so the surname can be understood as “son of Max” in a broad sense rather than from one single fixed source. Because surnames of this type often arose independently in more than one family, the exact derivation may vary by line.
History
The name is well established in English-speaking records and is especially familiar in North America. The 19th-century source excerpt simply lists it as a surname and mentions a Dr. Maxson in Geneva, New York, which shows the name in use but does not explain its origin. As with many -son surnames, it may have been reinforced or expanded through later spelling regularization.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is uncommon but recognizable enough to appear in old surname indexes alongside better-known names like Maxwell and Maxim.
From the historical record
“Maxhum, 328. Maxim, 326. Maxson.* Maxum, 326. Maxwell, 390. May, 2, 36, 279. Mayall, 279. Maybank, 240.”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)