Maxwell, a Scottish surname-turned-given-name, is a combination of the name Mack, meaning "great," and the Old English word wille, meaning "well" or "stream." Together, this water-inspired name translates to "Mack's stream" or "Mack's well." Maxwell was a semi-popular name in the early 1900s, but started fading away in the mid-1900s before making a comeback in the 1980s. It has now been a top-200 boy's name every year since 1990, though it has been in a decline for several years. It's also the name singer-actress Jessica Simpson gave her daughter Maxwell Drew (whom she calls Maxi), showing just how versatile the name can be.
