How to say it
MAX · i · mus
/ˈmæk.sɪ.məs/
Masculine
Maximus
Greatest
What it means
Latin maximus, 'greatest,' the superlative of magnus. A Roman cognomen worn by emperors and saints alike.
Maximus is the Latin word for 'greatest,' used by Romans as a surname signaling rank or esteem, from the usurper-emperor Magnus Maximus to a string of early saints. It was rare as a first name in English until Russell Crowe's general Maximus carried Gladiator in 2000, after which it climbed fast. It reads bold and cinematic and folds neatly into the friendly short Max, shared with Maxwell and Maximilian.
Popularity over time
peaked at #187 in 2016, currently #276 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Max is the obvious short, linking it to Maxwell and Maximilian.
- Pop culture
Gladiator's Maximus Decimus Meridius is the reason the name took off.
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.
- Maximus Decimus Meridius Russell Crowe's general in Gladiator (2000)
- Magnus Maximus 4th-century Roman emperor in the West
Spelling variants
- Maximos
- Massimo
- Maximo
Names with the same feeling
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