Max Name Meaning

The name Max is derived from the Latin root Maximus, which means “greatest.” The name is associated with strength and power, and it is often given to boys who are expected to grow into strong, successful men.

Origins of the Name Max

Max is derived from the Roman family name Maximus, which was that of a fourth-century saint and martyr. The name Maximus has a long and storied history and was used by Roman generals and emperors. In the Middle Ages, it became popular as a given name in England, France and Germany.

Popularity of the Name Max

Max has been popular in the United States since the early 1900s. It was one of the top ten most popular names for boys in the 1920s and 1930s and by the 1950s, it had become one of the top five most popular boy’s names. It has remained in the top ten most popular boy’s names for over a century and continues to be a favorite choice for parents.

Final Thoughts on the Name Max

Max is a strong, masculine name that is easy to pronounce and spell. It is also a versatile name that can be used for a wide variety of occupations, from professional athletes to business executives. It is also a timeless name that will never go out of style.

Max is a classic name with a long and varied history. It is derived from the Latin root Maximus, meaning “greatest,” and has been popular for over a century. It is a strong, masculine name that is easy to pronounce and spell, and it is also a timeless name that will never go out of style.

Infographic of Max name meaning, which is A shortened form of Maximilian or Maxwell, Max is an English name meaning greatest.
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Max Name Popularity

How popular is the name Max? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 118 227 0.0645%
1911 112 295 0.0792%
1912 103 693 0.1374%
1913 101 865 0.1526%
1914 100 1,123 0.1611%
1915 103 1,416 0.1559%
1916 105 1,474 0.1526%
1917 104 1,492 0.1491%
1918 107 1,510 0.1407%
1919 110 1,433 0.1369%
1920 112 1,540 0.1385%
1921 112 1,538 0.1343%
1922 117 1,496 0.1343%
1923 121 1,424 0.1271%
1924 126 1,381 0.1189%
1925 127 1,362 0.1205%
1926 137 1,239 0.1126%
1927 142 1,207 0.109%
1928 126 1,387 0.1296%
1929 127 1,321 0.1275%
1930 143 1,156 0.1107%
1931 141 1,162 0.1177%
1932 143 1,140 0.1154%
1933 140 1,104 0.1185%
1934 126 1,313 0.1358%
1935 128 1,269 0.1306%
1936 130 1,229 0.1276%
1937 141 1,083 0.1099%
1938 140 1,142 0.1116%
1939 162 956 0.094%
1940 165 932 0.0877%
1941 170 894 0.0794%
1942 170 949 0.0752%
1943 186 847 0.0649%
1944 194 739 0.0596%
1945 189 773 0.0634%
1946 204 813 0.0551%
1947 219 833 0.0499%
1948 235 721 0.0452%
1949 233 740 0.046%
1950 238 735 0.0456%
1951 239 772 0.0455%
1952 245 727 0.0416%
1953 256 704 0.0398%
1954 261 703 0.0385%
1955 258 694 0.0377%
1956 263 731 0.0387%
1957 276 714 0.0371%
1958 282 718 0.038%
1959 295 668 0.0352%
1960 302 629 0.0332%
1961 304 613 0.0325%
1962 328 536 0.0292%
1963 334 520 0.029%
1964 347 476 0.027%
1965 379 380 0.0232%
1966 350 416 0.0266%
1967 376 354 0.0233%
1968 389 362 0.0241%
1969 409 334 0.0217%
1970 369 451 0.0283%
1971 408 346 0.023%
1972 400 343 0.0252%
1973 372 390 0.0301%
1974 383 367 0.0282%
1975 383 373 0.029%
1976 386 359 0.0279%
1977 398 345 0.0256%
1978 384 368 0.0274%
1979 376 417 0.0296%
1980 363 443 0.0303%
1981 353 458 0.0312%
1982 379 412 0.0276%
1983 346 490 0.0332%
1984 307 596 0.0401%
1985 277 714 0.047%
1986 244 895 0.0593%
1987 188 1,443 0.0946%
1988 197 1,364 0.0875%
1989 184 1,587 0.0983%
1990 171 1,782 0.1075%
1991 175 1,811 0.1111%
1992 169 1,857 0.1163%
1993 170 1,871 0.12%
1994 189 1,603 0.1045%
1995 195 1,547 0.1026%
1996 209 1,459 0.0974%
1997 194 1,673 0.1131%
1998 159 2,143 0.1432%
1999 161 2,290 0.1529%
2000 165 2,341 0.1532%
2001 159 2,398 0.1592%
2002 164 2,313 0.1543%
2003 162 2,452 0.1612%
2004 164 2,472 0.1622%
2005 164 2,487 0.1627%
2006 160 2,632 0.1681%
2007 141 2,869 0.1818%
2008 126 3,365 0.2177%
2009 104 3,955 0.2646%
2010 98 3,840 0.2665%
2011 96 3,953 0.2775%
2012 105 3,689 0.2589%
2013 111 3,509 0.2465%
2014 112 3,489 0.2395%
2015 117 3,411 0.2344%
2016 118 3,412 0.2366%
2017 126 3,121 0.2236%
2018 136 2,850 0.2074%
2019 137 2,726 0.2014%
2020 149 2,403 0.1888%
2021 158 2,395 0.1959%
2022 155 2,375 0.18%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Max

If you like Max, you’ll love these other names like Max.

What names are variants of Max?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Max.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Maks

Latin

Maxence
Maxson
Maxx

Greatest

Greek

What names sound like Max?

If you like how Max sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Max.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Maxey

Greatest

Latin

Maxie

Greatest

Latin

Maxy

Greatest

Latin

Lists With Max

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Max.

Siblings of Max

Mamas with kids named Max also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Eva

Life

Hebrew

Baby

Infant

English

Alistair

Man's defender

Greek

12 Comments

  1. Named after a friend Maximilian Nightengale, less used name, also named after Maximilian Kolbe a pretty incredible historical figure.

    Reply

  2. Max is short for Maximus. We chose the name as all our children have strong Greek based names.

    Reply

  3. Felt like it would suit any boy, no matter what they look like or what type of personality they have

    Reply

  4. It has the same initial with me and we both love how it sounds as the phonetics matches his last name

    Reply

  5. My husband actually picked his first name. He ran across a classic video game and favorite of his called Max Payne. I like that his name is short, sweet and distinctive. Name essentially means the greatest. He for sure has been one of the greatest blessings. Since he’s been born he’s done everything to the MAX – 0 to 100 smh lol. May he be surrounded by God’s love and protection and live a blessed life to the MAX!! (Amen)

    Reply

  6. It’s a beautiful name

    Reply

  7. I chose max because i wanted a name that started with the letter M and wasn’t that long something simple and short

    Reply

  8. We both liked the name we chose it because it doesn’t run in the family

    Reply

  9. We wanted something short, easy to say, easy to spell, and not too trendy or popular.

    Reply

  10. Max loves his name! He sees it everywhere and finds that fun. We chose the name because it’s short and sweet like our names. It means “the greatest” and that was a perfect fit for our boy. Oh, and mean nicknames? Kids don’t even know what maxie pads are anymore. Lol

    Reply

    • Hey my names max it’s short for maximus and I’m only 10 I love my nane

      Reply

      • my name is max too, no way

        suuuuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

        Reply

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