Huxley is an English surname and given name of Norman origin that was originally derived from the Germanic personal name Huiscild or Huiscrad, which means "famous warrior." The name was brought to England by the Normans after their conquest in 1066.
The name Huxley became popular in England during the Middle Ages and remained so for centuries. It is often found among families of English nobility and gentry, such as the Huxleys of Huxley Hall in Cheshire, who were a prominent family from the 14th century onwards.
Huxley is also known as the surname of several notable figures throughout history. The most famous of these is Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), an English biologist and comparative anatomist who was a great advocate for Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, earning him the nickname "Darwin's Bulldog." Other notable Huxleys include Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), an English writer best known for his dystopian novel Brave New World, and Andrew Huxley (1917-2012), a British neurophysiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1963.
Today, Huxley remains a popular given name for boys in England and other English-speaking countries. It has also gained popularity as a surname due to its association with successful and influential figures throughout history. Despite its Germanic origins, the name has become strongly associated with English culture and heritage.
"The name Huxley experienced a significant increase in popularity over the years, with a steady rise from 7 births in 2002 to a peak of 524 births in 2020. However, there has been a recent decline, with numbers dropping back down to 451 births in 2023."