Max is a short form of the name Maximilian or Maximus, which both have Latin origins. Maximilian comes from the Latin "maximus," meaning "greatest" or "largest." Maximus also has its roots in Latin and means "the greatest." The name Max was popular among early Christians because it was associated with Saint Maximilian, who was a martyr during Roman Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians around 305 AD. Throughout history, the name Max has been used by various figures such as Max Weber, a prominent sociologist in Germany, and Max Planck, a physicist who made significant contributions to quantum theory. Today, Max remains popular as a given name for boys worldwide.
Here are some interesting statistics about the name Max in the United States:
From 1880 to 2023, there were a total of 163,277 babies named Max born in the U.S. The name's popularity fluctuated over time, with its highest peak occurring in 2009 when 3,958 newborns were given the name Max.
The earliest year on record for the name Max is 1880, with just 52 births that year. The number of babies named Max increased steadily throughout the late 19th century, reaching a peak in 1912 with 734 births.
After World War I, the popularity of the name Max declined significantly. Between 1919 and 1965, there were fewer than 500 babies named Max each year on average. However, the name experienced a resurgence starting in the late 1960s, with over 400 births per year from 1973 onwards.
The most recent data available shows that in 2022, there were 2,197 babies named Max born in the U.S. This represents a slight decrease from the previous year but still indicates that Max remains a popular choice among parents today.