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The short answer
Max is a masculine name used in German and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Short form of Maximilian or Maxim. Famous bearers include the German intellectual Max Weber (1864-1920) and the German physicist Max Planck (1858-1947)." It ranked #180 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, short form of Maximilian or Maxim. Famous bearers include the German intellectual Max Weber (1864-1920) and the German physicist Max Planck (1858-1947). The entry lists its usage as German, English, Swedish, Norwegian and others.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Max ranked #180 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #180 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (German) and that sit near Max in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Max mean?
Behind the Name does not give Max a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: short form of Maximilian or Maxim.
Is Max a popular name?
Max ranked #180 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Max a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Max appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Max — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
