Show ContentsMaxson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the Maxson family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Sussex. Their name, however, is thought to be derived from a location in Normandy called Argenson, which would have been used as a name in its local form, D'Argenson, meaning from Argenson. The location, however, like many small settlements of the time, has been lost to the map in contemporary times. It is likely that the M now appears as the first letter of the name in most cases due to confusion with the similar metronymic name meaning son of Margaret. [1]

Early Origins of the Maxson family

The surname Maxson was first found in West Sussex where the family held estates in Offington. One source claims "John D'Argenson, living in 1449, had two sons, one of whom fought at the battle of Pavia, in 1524, and the other, Peter D'Argenson, was founder of the English branch. The Margetsons of Yorkshire sprang from that personage, which may well admit of question, for certainly D'Argenson and Margetson are not much alike." [2]

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Robert Marjorison; Richard Marjorison; and Roger Margeryson. [1]

Early History of the Maxson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maxson research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1633, 1635, 1637, 1663 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Maxson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maxson Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Margesson, Margeson, Margerison, Margetson and many more.

Early Notables of the Maxson family

More information is included under the topic Early Maxson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maxson Ranking

In the United States, the name Maxson is the 7,891st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Maxson family to Ireland

Some of the Maxson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 80 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Maxson migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Maxson name or one of its variants:

Maxson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Maxson, who settled in Boston in 1634
Maxson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Maxson, who settled in San Francisco in 1850
  • Samuel Maxson, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Maxson (post 1700) +

  • William Maxson (1930-2013), American Air Force Major General and vice commander, awarded the Silver Star Medal, two AFDs, three Legions of Merit, DSS and the DFC medal
  • Stephen Clark Maxson, American behavior geneticist and professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Connecticut
  • Robert C. Maxson (b. 1936), American academic, former president of Sierra Nevada College
  • Louis William Maxson (1855-1916), American gold medalist archer who competed at the 1904 Summer Olympics
  • Herbert Burdell Maxson (1850-1927), American miner and civil engineer in Arizona, Deputy United States surveyor for Nevada
  • Eileen Maxson (b. 1980), American interdisciplinary artist, first recipient of the Arthouse Texas Prize
  • Alvin Earl Maxson (b. 1951), former American football running back from Beaumont, Texas who played from 1974 to 1978


The Maxson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Loyalité me lie
Motto Translation: Loyality binds me.


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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