Fun Facts About the Name Paxson
- 443 babies named Paxson: U.S. records list 443 babies given the name Paxson from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Paxson Mean?
Paxson is an English surname used as a given name, and the meaning most often given for it is "son of Pax," a patronymic formed with the common English suffix -son. On this reading the first element is an English personal name, Pax, and the suffix marks descent from the father who bore it.
A closely related explanation treats Paxson as a variant spelling of Paxton, a habitational surname taken from places in England and Scotland. The Cambridgeshire village of Paxton is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and its name goes back to an Old English personal name, Pæcc or Pacca, combined with tūn, meaning "enclosure, farmstead, or settlement" - literally "Pæcc's settlement."
Which of these came first is not settled. The -son spelling supports the patronymic reading, while the widespread pairing of Paxson with Paxton in surname references reflects their long overlap in use. The resemblance to Latin pax, "peace," is a separate matter: it is a symbolic association that modern users often attach to the name rather than the source of its Old English forms.
Paxson Name History & Origins
Paxson belongs to the large group of English surnames built with -son, a patronymic suffix that became common in the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in northern England and Scotland. Names of this type originally identified a man as the son of a particular father, and many of them later passed into use as given names.
The related place name Paxton is documented in Cambridgeshire in the Domesday Book of 1086, and there is a second Paxton in Berwickshire, Scotland, near the English border. Habitational surnames such as Paxton were adopted by people who moved away from the village that gave them their name, which is how the place name and the surname came to exist side by side.
As a given name, Paxson is a modern use of the surname and appears mainly in the United States. It is sometimes chosen for its resemblance to the Latin word pax, "peace" - an association belonging to the name's present-day reception rather than to its English roots.
How Popular is the Name Paxson?
Paxson has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2012. Its best rank was #2,993 in 2012.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,075 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #6,703 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2023 | #7,179 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #4,659 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2021 | #4,890 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2020 | #4,664 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2019 | #5,108 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #4,873 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2017 | #4,886 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #3,275 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2015 | #3,415 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #3,442 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #4,148 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #2,993 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2011 | #3,493 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #3,874 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #5,485 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #6,319 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #8,728 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #7,857 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #12,848 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #11,691 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,780 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Paxson
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Paxson Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Paxson's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Paxson's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.