boy's name
Max
MAKS
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 290,147
the United States
#180
2025 births
Max is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "greatest." It shortens Maximilian or Maximus, both from the Latin maximus, and is now given as a full name far more often than as a nickname.
- Max is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2009, when 3,969 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 497 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Max over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Max is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 765 |
| 1890s | 1,112 |
| 1900s | 1,567 |
| 1910s | 10,896 |
| 1920s | 14,194 |
| 1930s | 11,823 |
| 1940s | 8,549 |
| 1950s | 7,465 |
| 1960s | 5,035 |
| 1970s | 4,242 |
| 1980s | 8,796 |
| 1990s | 18,291 |
| 2000s | 27,458 |
| 2010s | 34,408 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13,976 |
What Max means
Max means greatest, from the Latin superlative maximus. The parent names carry the meaning directly — Maximus is simply the adjective used as a name.
Where Max comes from
Max shortens Maximilian or Maximus, from the Latin maximus, greatest, the superlative of magnus. Maximilian was reportedly coined by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III for his son, blending Maximus and Aemilianus after two Romans he admired — one of the few European royal names with a documented invention. Max is also a short form of the unrelated Maxwell, a Scottish surname meaning Mack's pool, which is why some bearers have no Latin connection at all.
Max in use
Our data shows Max stable, peaking in 2009, at 48 in England and Wales against 180 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1880. Unusually for a short form, Max has outlasted every one of its parent names in popularity — Maximilian, Maximus and Maxwell all rank far below it.
How popular is Max?
In 2025, Max was given to 1,061 babies in England and Wales, ranking #48 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Max is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Max
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Max also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Max over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Max
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Max in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Albanian
- Maksim
- Azerbaijani
- Maksim
- Belarusian
- Maksim
- Bulgarian
- Maksim
- Estonian
- Maksim
- Finnish
- Maksim
- French
- Maximilien
- German
- Maximilian
- Italian
- Massimiliano
- Latin
- Maximus
- Polish
- Maksymilian Maks
- Russian
- Maksim
- Sorbian
- Maks
- Swedish
- Maksim
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Maxwell Maxie Maximillian Maxx
Sibling names for Max
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Max — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Max
What does the name Max mean?
Max means "greatest," from the Latin maximus.
Is Max short for Maximilian?
It can shorten Maximilian, Maximus or Maxwell — but it is now most often registered as a full name in its own right.
Who invented the name Maximilian?
The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III, reportedly blending Maximus and Aemilianus after two Romans he admired.
How popular is the name Max?
In 2025, Max was given to 1,061 babies in England and Wales, ranking #48 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Is Max a girl's or a boy's name?
Max is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Max?
Max has 1 syllable.
When was Max most popular?
Max peaked in 2009, when 3,969 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Max?
Max is usually shortened to Maxy.
Is Max a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Max currently ranks #30 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.