boy's name
Maximilian
maks-i-MIL-ee-an
- Origin Latin
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 5
- Letters 10
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 30,148
the United States
#590
2025 births
Maximilian is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "greatest." It was coined by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III for his son, reportedly blending Maximus and Aemilianus after two Romans he admired.
- Maximilian is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 717 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,671 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1907.
- 5 syllables, with the stress on syllable 3.
Maximilian over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 5 |
| 1910s | 54 |
| 1920s | 39 |
| 1930s | 12 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 12 |
| 1960s | 102 |
| 1970s | 260 |
| 1980s | 928 |
| 1990s | 2,761 |
| 2000s | 5,101 |
| 2010s | 6,508 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,153 |
What Maximilian means
Maximilian means greatest, from the Latin maximus. As a coinage it also carries the second element of Aemilianus, from the Roman family name Aemilius, whose own meaning is rival.
Where Maximilian comes from
Maximilian is one of the few European royal names with a documented invention. Frederick III is said to have created it for his son, born 1459, by combining Maximus and Aemilianus — Fabius Maximus and Scipio Aemilianus, two Romans he admired. Maximilian I went on to be Holy Roman Emperor. The name became a Habsburg and Bavarian staple, and Maximilian of Mexico, executed in 1867, was the last of note. Max shortens it, along with the unrelated Maxwell.
Maximilian in use
Our data shows Maximilian stable, peaking in 2016, at 206 in England and Wales against 590 in the United States. It first appears in our records in 1907. Max, which we have written up separately, considerably outranks it in both markets — the pet form outliving the parent, as with Freddie and Frederick.
How popular is Maximilian?
In 2025, Maximilian was given to 497 babies in the United States, ranking #590 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Maximilian is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Maximilian
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Maximilian also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Maximilian over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
4 nicknames for Maximilian
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.
Maximilian 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
- Italian
- Massimiliano
- 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.
- Maxie Maximillian Maxmilian
Sibling names for Maximilian
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Maximilian — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Maximilian
What does the name Maximilian mean?
Maximilian means "greatest," from the Latin maximus.
Who invented the name?
The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III, reportedly blending Maximus and Aemilianus after two Romans he admired.
Is Max short for Maximilian?
It can be, and also for Maximus or the unrelated Maxwell — and Max now outranks all three.
How popular is the name Maximilian?
In 2025, Maximilian was given to 497 babies in the United States, ranking #590 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Maximilian a girl's or a boy's name?
Maximilian is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Maximilian?
Maximilian has 5 syllables.
When was Maximilian most popular?
Maximilian peaked in 2016, when 717 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Maximilian?
Maximilian is usually shortened to Max, Maxi, Maximus and Maxim.
Is Maximilian a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Maximilian currently ranks #206 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.