Max
A short form of Maximilian or Maxwell, from Latin maximus, “greatest.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Max appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in 3 different years between 1914 and 2011. Its biggest year was 2009, when 3,958 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 104 nationally. Its best ranking came in 2011, at No. 96. In 2025 it ranked No. 180 for boys. All told, 168,577 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Maxine
Explore Max interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 765 | No. 132 |
| 1890s | 1,112 | No. 120 |
| 1900s | 1,567 | No. 119 |
| 1910s | 10,859 | No. 99 |
| 1920s | 14,081 | No. 112 |
| 1930s | 11,757 | No. 126 |
| 1940s | 8,526 | No. 165 |
| 1950s | 7,430 | No. 238 |
| 1960s | 5,023 | No. 297 |
| 1970s | 4,231 | No. 368 |
| 1980s | 8,741 | No. 185 |
| 1990s | 18,216 | No. 159 |
| 2000s | 27,368 | No. 104 |
| 2010s | 34,141 | No. 96 |
| 2020s | 13,641 | No. 147 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.