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Max Name Meaning, Origins & History

Max

Pronunciation: MAKS

Meaning Greatest Origin Latin Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#180
TREND
5
GIRLS RANK
#3,687
TREND
217
Peak Years
2009, 2011, 2010
Lowest Years
1880, 1881, 1885
Energy Archetype
Hardworking & Dutiful

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Max in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Max

  • A favorite of earlier generations: Max appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 3 years. Its last run lasted 2 consecutive years, from 2010 through 2011.
  • More than 168 thousand babies named Max: U.S. records list 168,557 babies given the name Max from 1880 through 2025. Even 1,119 girls received the name Max - about 1 girl for every 150 boys.

What Does the Name Max Mean?

Max is chiefly a short form of longer names, above all the Latin Maximus and the later Maximilian, and it carries their meaning: "greatest." Maximus is the superlative of the Latin adjective magnus, "great," so the name literally means "the greatest one."

The related name Maximilian comes from the Latin Maximilianus, which appears to combine Maximus with Aemilianus, a name derived from the Roman family name Aemilius. Because Maximus is part of it, Maximilian is normally understood to mean "greatest" as well, and Max is its common short form in German, English, and other languages. The feminine name Maxine, from the same Latin root, also shortens to Max.

A separate source is the Scottish surname Maxwell, taken from a place name in the Scottish Borders. The meaning of that place name is not settled; one common explanation links the first element to the personal name Maccus, giving something like "Maccus's stream" or "Maccus's well," but this remains uncertain. When Max is used as a short form of Maxwell, it does not carry the Latin sense "greatest."

Max Name History & Origins

Maximus was a common Roman cognomen, the third element of a citizen's name. The best-known branch to use it was the patrician family of the Fabii, whose members were called the Fabii Maximi; the general Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, who opposed Hannibal in the Second Punic War, is the most famous bearer. The name stayed in use in the Roman world and was adopted by early Christians: several saints are named Maximus, among them Maximus of Turin and Maximus the Confessor.

The longer form Maximilian spread through German-speaking lands and the Habsburg dynasty. The Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, who reigned from 1493 to 1519, is among its best-known bearers, and the name remained common in German noble and royal families. From such longer names, the short form Max became established in German as a given name in its own right.

In the English-speaking world, Max appeared as a given name in the 19th century, both as a short form of Maximilian and independently, and it has also served as a short form of the Scottish name Maxwell, which comes from a Borders place name and entered use as a first name through the surname.

Max also has a notable place in illustrated literature: he is one of the two boys in Wilhelm Busch's Max and Moritz (1865), a German picture story in verse, and the main character of Maurice Sendak's picture book Where the Wild Things Are (1963). These are literary uses of a name that already existed, not its origin.

How Popular is the Name Max?

Max recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2009. Max ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1914 through 1914, then returned in 2010 and remained through 2011.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Famous People Named Max

Max Planck
Max Planck
Max Stirner
Max Stirner

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Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Max Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.

✦ Max's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Max's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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