Show ContentsMaxted History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Scotland
Maxted Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Maxted

What does the name Maxted mean?

The surname Maxted 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. 1

Early Origins of the Maxted family

The surname Maxted 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 Margaret, 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. "About the year 1250 Adam de Makuston witnessed a charter by John de Normanville), and about the same period John, son of Philip de Mackuston, quitclaimed to the monks of Melrose the right of pastere in his territory. Adam de Maxton was elected abbot of Melrose in 1261." 1

Other 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 Maxted family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Maxted research. Another 163 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1285, 1296, 1725 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Maxted History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Maxted Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Maxted family

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

Maxted migration to the United States +



Maxted Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Maxted, who landed in New York in 1833 2
  • William Maxted, who arrived in New York in 1833 2
  • Edmund Maxted, who arrived in New York in 1835 2

Maxted 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:

Maxted Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. George Maxted (Mexted), (1806-1881), aged 34, British agricultural labourer, born in Pluckley, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Spicer Maxted (Mexted) (Née Wilmshurst), (1813-1894), aged 30, British settler, born Whitstable, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Mr. George William Maxted (Mexted), (1835-1911), aged 5, British settler, born in Pluckley, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Mr. Stephen Maxted (Mexted), (1838-1869), aged 3, British settler, born in Pluckley, Kent, England travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • Miss Eliza Maxted (Mexted), (b. 1840), aged 6 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Lord William Bentinck" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 24th May 1841 3
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Maxted (post 1700) +

  • Ellen Maxted (b. 1956), American actress from Birmingham, Michigan, known for Another World (1964), Hill Street Blues (1981) and Texas (1980)
  • Billy Maxted (1917-2001), born William George Maxted, an American jazz pianist
  • Douglas F. Maxted, British actor, known for Magical Powers (1936), Meet the Family and Come Home to Tea (1939) and Castaways in Peril (1938)
  • Claude Maxted (1893-1964), British actor from Beckenham, Kent, known for Taxi for Two (1929) and Paradise (1928)
  • Mary Maxted (1911-2006), British actress from St George Hanover Square, London, known for Moonstrike (1963), The Pickwick Papers (1985) and Casualty (1986)
  • Jonathan James Maxted (b. 1993), English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for National League North club Brackley Town
  • Stanley Maxted (1895-1963), Canadian soldier, singer, radio producer, journalist and actor who worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and later for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as a war correspondent during World War II
  • Adam Maxted (b. 1992), British professional wrestler and former contestant on ITV2 show Love Island
  • Anna Maxted (b. 1969), English novelist who writes female contemporary fiction

The Maxted 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. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. 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)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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