Paxson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
Bud Paxson (1935–2015), American media executive Diana Paxson, American writer Edgar Samuel Paxson (1852–1919), American painter Frederic L. Paxson (1877–1948), Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James M. Paxson (died 1995), American businessman Jim Paxson (born 1957), American former professional basketball player and executive John Paxson (born 1960), American former professional basketball player and current executive, and the brother of Jim Melanie Paxson (born 1972), American actress Scott Paxson (born 1983), American football player Vern Paxson, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley