Paxton
Paxton was the 338th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 988 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 203rd with 1,993 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 109 places. More babies were named Paxton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Pæcc's settlement (place name) · Old English
Say it PAKS-tuhn /ˈpækstən/
- Rank in 2025
- #338 boys, down 76 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 988boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20161,993 babies
- Total since 1880
- 30,318babies recorded
What does the name Paxton mean?
Paxton is an English surname from a place name. Wiktionary derives it from the Old English personal name Pæcc and tun, 'settlement', so 'Pæcc's farmstead'. Wikipedia lists notable bearers such as the actor Bill Paxton. Wiktionary classes it as a habitational surname from Old English. As a boy's first name it is a recent American transfer, and its sound suggests Latin pax, 'peace', although that is not its origin.
*Pæcc (Old English, “personal name (reconstructed)”)tūn (Old English, “settlement”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Other explanations you may read: Means 'peace town' (Latin pax).
Related names: Pax, Paxon.
See also: English names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Paxton', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Paxton (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Paxton
The usual nicknames for Paxton are Pax. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Paxton in the last five years, 6 were named Pax.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pax | Modern | #2,074 | 348 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Paxtons go by each one.
Paxton popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,124 since 1991, 49 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #338 | 988 |
| 2020 | #262 | 1,301 |
| 2010 | #296 | 1,110 |
| 2000 | #947 | 161 |
| 1990 | #3,567 | 17 |
| 1980 | #2,425 | 21 |
| 1970 | #1,203 | 48 |
| 1960 | #3,574 | 7 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Paxton, counting every spelling?
Paxton is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #345 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #338 for Paxton on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,004 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paxton | 988 | #338 | 6,257 |
| Paxten | 9 | #8,743 | 59 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Paxton?
988 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Paxton (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Paxton born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Paxton.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Paxton?
About 27,800 people born in the US named Paxton are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 6 and 15. That makes Paxton a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Paxton by state
How common Paxton was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in West Virginia (3.0×), South Dakota (3.0×), North Dakota (2.8×), Mississippi (2.8×), Idaho (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Paxton: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Paxton, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Paxton · Sibling names for Paxton
Questions about the name Paxton
What does Paxton mean?
Paxton means “Pæcc's settlement (place name)” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Paxton?
Paxton was the 338th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 988 babies. Its best year was 2016, when it ranked 203rd with 1,993 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 109 places. More babies were named Paxton in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Paxton a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Paxton in the US.
Where is Paxton most popular?
In 2021–2025, Paxton was most common in West Virginia (2.17 per 1,000 boys), followed by South Dakota and North Dakota.