Maximilian
Maximilian was the 590th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 497 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 429th; the most babies were born in 2016 (717). Over the last ten years it has moved down 152 places. More babies were named Maximilian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning from Maximus, 'greatest' · Latin
Say it mak-suh-MIL-yun /ˌmæksəˈmɪljən/
- Rank in 2025
- #590 boys, down 97 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 497boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2016717 babies
- Total since 1880
- 18,940babies recorded
What does the name Maximilian mean?
Maximilian comes from Latin Maximilianus. Wiktionary derives it from the Roman name Maximus, which is Latin for greatest, probably through a diminutive form Maximillus with the ending -ianus. English took the name from German, and Wiktionary notes it is rare in English. Its short form Max came into English from German in the 19th century and is now often given on its own.
Maximiliānus (Latin, “from Maximus”)maximus (Latin, “greatest”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; the exact formation (via Maximillus or *Maximilius) is uncertain.
Related names: Max, Maximiliano, Maxim, Maximus, Maxine.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maximilian' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maximilianus' (Latin section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Maximilian
The usual nicknames for Maximilian are Max and Maxi. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Maximilian in the last five years, 436 were named Max, against 500 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max · also for Massimo, Maxwell, Maximus | Traditional | #180 | 11,155 |
| Maxi · also for Maximiliano | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Maximilians go by each one.
Maximilian popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #590 | 497 |
| 2020 | #493 | 595 |
| 2010 | #435 | 632 |
| 2000 | #478 | 492 |
| 1990 | #779 | 170 |
| 1980 | #1,560 | 39 |
| 1970 | #1,733 | 26 |
| 1960 | #4,405 | 5 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #2,897 | 10 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Maximilian, counting every spelling?
Maximilian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #510 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #590 for Maximilian on its own. Together these spellings went to 591 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximilian | 497 | #590 | 2,558 |
| Maximillian | 86 | #1,845 | 340 |
| Maksymilian | 8 | #9,401 | 63 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Maximilian?
497 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maximilian (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Maximilian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maximilian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maximilian?
About 18,500 people born in the US named Maximilian are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 9 and 25. That makes Maximilian mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Maximilian by state
How common Maximilian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Illinois (2.2×), Connecticut (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.6×), New Jersey (1.6×), Kansas (1.6×). In 17 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maximilian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maximilian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Maximilian · Sibling names for Maximilian
Questions about the name Maximilian
What does Maximilian mean?
Maximilian means “from Maximus, 'greatest'” (Latin origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Maximilian?
Maximilian was the 590th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 497 babies. Its best year was 2013, when it ranked 429th; the most babies were born in 2016 (717). Over the last ten years it has moved down 152 places. More babies were named Maximilian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Maximilian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Maximilian in the US.
Where is Maximilian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maximilian was most common in Illinois (0.66 per 1,000 boys), followed by Connecticut and Massachusetts.