How to say it
MAX
mæks
Masculine
Max
Greatest
What it means
Short form of Maximilian, Maximus, or Maxwell, ultimately from Latin maximus ('greatest'). Now usually a standalone given name; Where the Wild Things Are's Max gave it Gen-Y picture-book anchor.
Max began as a short form of Maximilian, Maximus, Maxwell, Maximo, or Maxime, all ultimately from the Latin maximus ('greatest'). Roman emperor Maximus, Marcus Aurelius's Maximus in Gladiator (Russell Crowe, 2000), and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963, the picture-book Max in the wolf suit) anchor different generations. Max is now overwhelmingly a standalone given name in modern US usage. The name has been in the US top 100 since 1998. Single syllable, no shorter form.
How to spell Max
The standard spelling is Max. Common variants include Maxwell, Maximilian, Maximus, but Max is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #96 in 2011, currently #180 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Max is itself a short, so doesn't shorten further. Some families give Maxwell or Maximus formally and Max daily; many give Max directly.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Max (Where the Wild Things Are) Maurice Sendak's picture-book hero in the wolf suit, 1963
- Max von Sydow Swedish actor, The Seventh Seal and The Exorcist
Spelling variants
- Maxwell
- Maximilian
- Maximus
Names with the same feeling
See Max from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Max mean?
- Short form of Maximilian, Maximus, or Maxwell, ultimately from Latin maximus ('greatest'). Now usually a standalone given name; Where the Wild Things Are's Max gave it Gen-Y picture-book anchor.
- What does Max mean in Latin?
- In Latin, Max means "Greatest." Max began as a short form of Maximilian, Maximus, Maxwell, Maximo, or Maxime, all ultimately from the Latin maximus ('greatest'). Roman emperor Maximus, Marcus Aurelius's Maximus in Gladiator (Russell Crowe, 2000), and Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963, the picture-book Max in the wolf suit) anchor different generations. Max is now overwhelmingly a standalone given name in modern US usage. The name has been in the US top 100 since 1998. Single syllable, no shorter form.
- Is Max short for Maximilian?
- Yes. Max is a short form of Maximilian, and it carries the same meaning, "Greatest." These days many parents use Max as a given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.
- How do you pronounce Max?
- Max is pronounced mæks. Say it as MAX, with the stress on the "max" syllable.
- How do you spell Max?
- The standard spelling is Max. Common spelling variants include Maxwell, Maximilian, Maximus.
- Is Max a boy or girl name?
- Max is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Max?
- Max ranked #180 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.