Show ContentsMaxton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Maxton is a habitation name, adopted from the name of the Parish of Maxton, in the Scottish Borders. The Parish name is believed to come from the "tun" or "homestead" of Maccus, believed to have been a Saxon settler, he is recorded as living in the area in 1116. The place name has appeared written as Mackeston, Mackiston, Maxston, Maxtun, Maccuston, Maxtoun and eventually as Maxton in 1580.

Early Origins of the Maxton family

The surname Maxton was first found in Roxburghshire, where they held a family seat in their territories. The Norman influence on Scottish history considerably influenced the crown and government in the period between King Malcolm Ceanmore (1058-1093) and King David (1124-1153). Many Norman nobles were either invited or escaped into Scotland following the example of Margeret, wife of Malcolm Ceanmore, who actively recruited these Normans to their court. Maccus, son of Undewyn was believed to have followed King David north and was granted the lands of Maxton. Early instances of the name include Adam de Macston, 17th Abbot of Melrose, and Peter of Makeston, who held a family seat in Huntingdon in 1200. Later Maxton passed to the Berkleys then to the Normanvilles.

Early History of the Maxton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maxton research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1285 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Maxton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maxton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Maxton, Maxtone, Mackston, Makston, Makeston, Maxston, Maxon, Mackson and many more.

Early Notables of the Maxton family

Notable among the family at this time was

  • the Maxton family of Perth


United States Maxton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maxton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Andrew Maxton, who settled in Georgia in 1759
  • James Maxton, who was banished to the American Plantations in 1767
Maxton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Maxton, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1822 [1]
  • John Maxton, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1825 [1]
  • John Maxton, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1825

Canada Maxton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Maxton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Maxton, who arrived in Montreal in 1839

New Zealand Maxton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Maxton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Samuel Maxton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Birman
  • Samuel Maxton, aged 26, a baker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
  • Henrietta Maxton, aged 20, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Birman" in 1842
  • Mr. David Maxton, (b. 1848), aged 26, Scottish engineer, from Lanark travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Oamaru" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 17th February 1875 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Maxton (post 1700) +

  • Graeme Maxton (b. 1960), Scottish-born author and economist
  • Julie Maxton, Scottish lawyer and academic, Executive Director of the Royal Society
  • Annie Maxton, Scottish socialist and trade unionist, Chair of the Independent Labour Party (1953–1958)
  • John Alston Maxton (b. 1936), Baron Maxton, a Scottish Labour Party politician
  • James Maxton (1885-1946), Scottish socialist politician, Leader of the Independent Labour Party
  • Dr. Julie Katherine Maxton C.B.E., British Executive Director for The Royal Society of London was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017, for services to Science, Law and Education
  • Roy Maxton Crumpler (1896-1969), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies from 1920 to 1925
  • Maxton Gig "Max" Beesley (b. 1971), English actor and musician


The Maxton 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: Providus esto
Motto Translation: Be thou circumspect.


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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