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.
Based on the provided statistics, the name Max has experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over time. Starting from a low of 52 births in 1880, it gradually increased to reach its first peak of 734 births in 1912. The name then continued to fluctuate, with another notable peak of 3958 births in 2009.
However, since around the year 2010, there has been a consistent decline in the popularity of the name Max, reaching an all-time low of 2197 births in 2023. This represents a significant drop from its peak in recent decades and suggests that the name may no longer be as popular as it once was.