Max
How to say it: MAKS · /ˈmæks/
Short form of Maximilian or Maximus, from Latin 'maximus' meaning 'greatest'.
Max was the 185th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 2,025 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2010s, its births are down about 41% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #237 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #185 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 2,025 |
| Share of births | 1 in 1,566 |
| Peak decade | 2010s |
| Change over 10 years | −41% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #237 |
| In France, 2025 | #411 among boys’ names, 110 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Well established through the 2010s, Max reached its peak then. Still close to that high, it is expected to ease lower in the next few years.
What goes with it
Crisp in a single clipped syllable, Max feels strong. Felix and Hugo share its style.
Middle names that flow with Max →
Other spellings
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Max is about 1 in 66.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish.
In France: #411 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #48. Ireland: #41.
Famous people named Max
- Max Born (1882–1970)German-Jewish physicist and mathematician
- Max von Laue (1879–1960)German physicist, Nobel laureate and anti-Nazi
- Max Euwe (1901–1981)Dutch chess player and mathematician
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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