Boy nameCurrently #175 in the USFalling
Max
MAKS//mæks//
1 syllablePeak year: 20093 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
Greatest (short form of Maximilian/Maxwell)
Max functions as a short form of Maximilian or Maxwell, sharing the Latin root 'maximus', meaning greatest. Short, confident, and internationally familiar, it has been popular for over a century.
Max's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Max |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 52 |
| 1881 | 66 |
| 1882 | 74 |
| 1883 | 75 |
| 1884 | 80 |
| 1885 | 71 |
| 1886 | 73 |
| 1887 | 73 |
| 1888 | 118 |
| 1889 | 83 |
| 1890 | 99 |
| 1891 | 91 |
| 1892 | 95 |
| 1893 | 107 |
| 1894 | 99 |
| 1895 | 95 |
| 1896 | 145 |
| 1897 | 122 |
| 1898 | 132 |
| 1899 | 127 |
| 1900 | 141 |
| 1901 | 110 |
| 1902 | 133 |
| 1903 | 110 |
| 1904 | 134 |
| 1905 | 140 |
| 1906 | 156 |
| 1907 | 197 |
| 1908 | 218 |
| 1909 | 228 |
| 1910 | 277 |
| 1911 | 360 |
| 1912 | 739 |
| 1913 | 897 |
| 1914 | 1,165 |
| 1915 | 1,434 |
| 1916 | 1,493 |
| 1917 | 1,518 |
| 1918 | 1,544 |
| 1919 | 1,469 |
| 1920 | 1,571 |
| 1921 | 1,570 |
| 1922 | 1,532 |
| 1923 | 1,453 |
| 1924 | 1,404 |
| 1925 | 1,395 |
| 1926 | 1,264 |
| 1927 | 1,239 |
| 1928 | 1,417 |
| 1929 | 1,349 |
| 1930 | 1,189 |
| 1931 | 1,193 |
| 1932 | 1,165 |
| 1933 | 1,136 |
| 1934 | 1,343 |
| 1935 | 1,293 |
| 1936 | 1,248 |
| 1937 | 1,106 |
| 1938 | 1,171 |
| 1939 | 979 |
| 1940 | 952 |
| 1941 | 931 |
| 1942 | 977 |
| 1943 | 880 |
| 1944 | 780 |
| 1945 | 810 |
| 1946 | 841 |
| 1947 | 874 |
| 1948 | 743 |
| 1949 | 761 |
| 1950 | 755 |
| 1951 | 811 |
| 1952 | 770 |
| 1953 | 730 |
| 1954 | 748 |
| 1955 | 724 |
| 1956 | 748 |
| 1957 | 746 |
| 1958 | 736 |
| 1959 | 697 |
| 1960 | 670 |
| 1961 | 652 |
| 1962 | 580 |
| 1963 | 549 |
| 1964 | 525 |
| 1965 | 427 |
| 1966 | 448 |
| 1967 | 395 |
| 1968 | 414 |
| 1969 | 375 |
| 1970 | 486 |
| 1971 | 409 |
| 1972 | 390 |
| 1973 | 434 |
| 1974 | 413 |
| 1975 | 415 |
| 1976 | 415 |
| 1977 | 403 |
| 1978 | 420 |
| 1979 | 459 |
| 1980 | 486 |
| 1981 | 501 |
| 1982 | 463 |
| 1983 | 536 |
| 1984 | 632 |
| 1985 | 769 |
| 1986 | 930 |
| 1987 | 1,460 |
| 1988 | 1,403 |
| 1989 | 1,617 |
| 1990 | 1,791 |
| 1991 | 1,842 |
| 1992 | 1,887 |
| 1993 | 1,896 |
| 1994 | 1,631 |
| 1995 | 1,577 |
| 1996 | 1,498 |
| 1997 | 1,705 |
| 1998 | 2,164 |
| 1999 | 2,298 |
| 2000 | 2,363 |
| 2001 | 2,413 |
| 2002 | 2,328 |
| 2003 | 2,465 |
| 2004 | 2,494 |
| 2005 | 2,501 |
| 2006 | 2,655 |
| 2007 | 2,891 |
| 2008 | 3,379 |
| 2009 | 3,969 |
| 2010 | 3,856 |
| 2011 | 3,964 |
| 2012 | 3,711 |
| 2013 | 3,539 |
| 2014 | 3,511 |
| 2015 | 3,442 |
| 2016 | 3,477 |
| 2017 | 3,187 |
| 2018 | 2,933 |
| 2019 | 2,780 |
| 2020 | 2,555 |
| 2021 | 2,463 |
| 2022 | 2,440 |
| 2023 | 2,274 |
| 2024 | 2,165 |
Max through the decades
- Max peaked in 2009, when 3,969 babies were named Max in the US.
- The 2010s were Max's strongest decade, averaging 3,440 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Max has fallen 18% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Max currently ranks #175 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Max
Variants & spellings
Maximilian