Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Max

Say it MAKS 1 syllable

Latin · from Maximilian, “the greatest”

Common across the UK, the Netherlands, three Nordic countries, and 17 more places. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 4 more places.

1 in 137 boys born in Scotland in 2025. Number 25 there.

Max in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 0, common in 24, rare in 7.
Max in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales48 (down)20251,0611 in 256332020
Scotland25 (down)20251431 in 137212020
Northern Ireland64 (down)2025361 in 230412020
Ireland41 (up)20251201 in 198422020
North America
Ontario (province)69 (up)2024169about 1 in 354802019
Quebec (province)295 (down)202516about 1 in 1,8161892020
British Columbia (province)58 (down)202347about 1 in 277412018
Nova Scotia (province)Not in the published top 212025Not listed2020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)30 (up)2025184342020
Victoria (state)20 (up)2025219212020
Queensland (state)29 (up)2025135382020
South Australia (state)37 (down)202538242020
New Zealand33 (down)202585252020
Western Europe
France418 (down)20251101 in 2,7523132020
Netherlands40 (down)2025281about 1 in 237182020
Central Europe
Austria51 (down)20251631 in 234442020
Switzerland101 (down)2025691 in 522512020
Berlin (city)86 (down)202339about 1 in 398312018
Munich (city)46 (down)202528about 1 in 156272020
Cologne (city)46 (down)202325about 1 in 255442018
Bonn (city)41 (down)202513about 1 in 244362020
Leipzig (city)50 (down)202510about 1 in 288362020
Rostock (city)35 (down)20255about 1 in 209212020
Nordic countries
Norway70 (up)2025971 in 240782020
Sweden89 (down)2025126about 1 in 342582020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
Finland472025100No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
Spain100 (new in the list)2024281Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)24 (down)20251691 in 123172020
Italy319 (new in the list)2024391 in 4,855Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland144 (up)2025721 in 1,7561472020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
Slovenia147 (down)202512about 1 in 6031392020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
Israel (published as מקס)727 (down)20248about 1 in 10,6376062019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. Israel publishes names in Hebrew script; the original is shown beside the name. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Max began in German as a pet form of Maximilian in the 19th century, and was later used as a nickname for Maxwell too. The meaning comes from Maximilian, 'the greatest'.

2 more paragraphs

A single short, punchy syllable, MAKS, makes it among the most compact names in use. Related forms include Maximilian, Maks, Maxime, Maksim and Maximiliano.

Max appears among the popular names in Victoria, Scotland, Queensland and Catalonia, and in the Netherlands and Finland. French records show a long history, with the highest point well back in the interwar years. It is falling in most of the places that record it, but it is still a well-known name across many countries.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
MAKS · 1 syllable
Meaning
from Maximilian, “the greatest”
Origin
Latin
Related names
Maximilian, Hans, Fritz, Maks, Maksymilian, Maxime, Maksim, Maxie, Hinz, Kunz, Lutz, Maksimilijan, Maximiliano, Maximillian, Massimiliano, Maximilien, Maximiliaan, Maxmilián, Miksa
Where Max comes from (Wiktionary)

Borrowed from German Max, diminutive of Maximilian in the 19th century, later also used as a nickname for Maxwell.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Max. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Max over time

Rising in 1 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 15. Peak in France: 1936.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Max in England and Wales: #56 in 1996, a peak of #18 in 2012, and #48 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #56, 1,192 boys1997: #57, 1,244 boys1998: #51, 1,418 boys1999: #48, 1,431 boys2000: #38, 1,794 boys2001: #35, 1,976 boys2002: #33, 2,050 boys2003: #34, 2,154 boys2004: #34, 2,235 boys2005: #31, 2,279 boys2006: #29, 2,248 boys2007: #31, 2,121 boys2008: #24, 2,708 boys2009: #25, 2,762 boys2010: #23, 2,707 boys2011: #20, 3,043 boys2012: #18, 3,220 boys2013: #25, 2,836 boys2014: #26, 2,602 boys2015: #28, 2,407 boys2016: #25, 2,405 boys2017: #27, 2,165 boys2018: #31, 1,867 boys2019: #28, 1,835 boys2020: #33, 1,585 boys2021: #34, 1,650 boys2022: #37, 1,459 boys2023: #44, 1,274 boys2024: #44, 1,140 boys2025: #48, 1,061 boys#56 in 1996peak #18, 2012#48in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996561,192
1997571,244
1998511,418
1999481,431
2000381,794
2001351,976
2002332,050
2003342,154
2004342,235
2005312,279
2006292,248
2007312,121
2008242,708
2009252,762
2010232,707
2011203,043
2012183,220
2013252,836
2014262,602
2015282,407
2016252,405
2017272,165
2018311,867
2019281,835
2020331,585
2021341,650
2022371,459
2023441,274
2024441,140
2025481,061

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in France

Half of the boys named Max in France since 1925 were born in or after 1954. Peak: 1936, about 232 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 151.7 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 185.7 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 224.9 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 194 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 163 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 148.1 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 135.6 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 105.5 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 66.6 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 36.5 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 22.7 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 21.6 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 19.2 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 34.4 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 54 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 83.4 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 75.6 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 67 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 60.1 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 47.5 per 100,000 boys20202025: 36.3 per 100,000 boys20251935-1939: about 1 in 445 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–1929151.7
1930–1934185.7
1935–1939224.9
1940–1944194
1945–1949163
1950–1954148.1
1955–1959135.6
1960–1964105.5
1965–196966.6
1970–197436.5
1975–197922.7
1980–198421.6
1985–198919.2
1990–199434.4
1995–199954
2000–200483.4
2005–200975.6
2010–201467
2015–201960.1
2020–202447.5
202536.3

Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Max

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Max, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 105, Ireland

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 92, Northern Ireland

  4. 1 in 264, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 61, Northern Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Ireland

  7. 1 in 69, Austria

  8. 1 in 62, Poland

  9. 1 in 207, Northern Ireland

  10. 1 in 25, Poland

All 40 brother names for Max

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Max's 1 syllable and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 105, Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Scotland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 62, Poland

Full-name check

Max Oliver

Syllables 1-3Initials M.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Max

Sisters for Max: Eva, Isabelle, Maya, and 5 more
  1. EvaRose and fell with Max · As common as Max
  2. IsabelleRose and fell with Max
  3. MayaRose and fell with Max · As common as Max · Same initial as Max
  4. AuroraRose and fell with Max · As common as Max
  5. LucyRose and fell with Max · As common as Max
  6. EmiliaRose and fell with Max · As common as Max
  7. AnnaRose and fell with Max · As common as Max
  8. SophieRose and fell with Max

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Max

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Max's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across France, the UK, Italy, and 25 more places.

  2. Loved across France, the UK, Canada, and 16 more places.

  3. Common in France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 14 more places.

  4. Common across England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, the Netherlands, and 12 more places.

  5. Common in England and Wales, Italy, Poland, and 17 more places.

  6. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 11 more places.

  7. Common across France, England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, and 8 more places.

  8. Common across the UK, Sweden, Austria, and 10 more places.

Famous people named Max

Max Born, Max Verstappen, and 6 more
  • Max Born 1882 to 1970

    German-Jewish physicist and mathematician

  • Max Verstappen born 1997

    Dutch and Belgian racing driver

  • Max von Laue 1879 to 1960

    German physicist, Nobel laureate and anti-Nazi

  • Max Euwe 1901 to 1981

    Dutch chess player and mathematician

  • Max Frisch 1911 to 1991

    Swiss playwrighter and novelist

  • Max Müller 1823 to 1900

    German-born British philologist, orientalist and indologist

  • Max Scheler 1874 to 1928

    German philosopher

  • Max von Sydow 1929 to 2020

    Swedish-French actor

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Max

How popular is Max in Victoria?

Max ranked #20 in Victoria in 2025, given to 219 boys.

Is Max rising in popularity?

Not overall: it is falling in more places than it is rising. Rising in 1 of the 27 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 15. Rising in: Poland.

What does Max mean?

Max comes from Maximilian, which means “the greatest”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Max have?

Max has 1 syllable: MAKS.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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