Max
Borrowed from German Max, diminutive of Maximilian in the 19th century, later also used as a nickname for Maxwell.
Every Max since 1880 — 168,577 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Max
Max is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #180 in 2025 with 2,025 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 168,577 American babies have been named Max. Its peak came in 2009, when 3,969 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Max stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Max year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41 | #3,687 | 2,025 | #180 |
| 2024 | 45 | #3,492 | 2,126 | #175 |
| 2023 | 73 | #2,460 | 2,205 | #163 |
| 2022 | 52 | #3,148 | 2,389 | #157 |
| 2021 | 53 | #3,097 | 2,410 | #160 |
| 2020 | 71 | #2,462 | 2,486 | #147 |
| 2019 | 28 | #4,859 | 2,755 | #137 |
| 2018 | 56 | #2,953 | 2,878 | #136 |
| 2017 | 42 | #3,677 | 3,145 | #128 |
| 2016 | 54 | #3,086 | 3,423 | #118 |
| 2015 | 23 | #5,777 | 3,422 | #117 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8,352 | 3,497 | #112 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6,638 | 3,520 | #111 |
| 2012 | 15 | #8,066 | 3,697 | #105 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12,957 | 3,956 | #96 |
| 2010 | 8 | #13,058 | 3,848 | #98 |
| 2009 | 11 | #10,421 | 3,958 | #104 |
| 2008 | 7 | #14,848 | 3,372 | #126 |
| 2007 | 9 | #12,318 | 2,882 | #141 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9,699 | 2,643 | #160 |
| 2005 | 7 | #13,971 | 2,494 | #165 |
| 2004 | 13 | #8,561 | 2,481 | #164 |
| 2003 | 5 | #17,429 | 2,460 | #162 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10,789 | 2,319 | #166 |
| 2001 | 9 | #10,706 | 2,404 | #159 |
| 2000 | 8 | #11,423 | 2,355 | #165 |
| 1995 | 12 | #7,361 | 1,565 | #195 |
| 1990 | — | — | 1,791 | #171 |
| 1985 | 8 | #8,029 | 762 | #274 |
| 1980 | — | — | 486 | #362 |
| 1975 | — | — | 415 | #382 |
| 1970 | — | — | 486 | #370 |
| 1965 | 5 | #7,171 | 422 | #377 |
| 1960 | — | — | 669 | #297 |
| 1955 | — | — | 724 | #256 |
| 1950 | — | — | 755 | #240 |
| 1945 | 7 | #3,905 | 803 | #189 |
| 1940 | — | — | 952 | #165 |
| 1935 | 10 | #2,864 | 1,283 | #128 |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,553 | 1,181 | #143 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3,284 | 1,385 | #128 |
| 1920 | 10 | #3,268 | 1,561 | #112 |
| 1915 | — | — | 1,434 | #102 |
| 1910 | — | — | 277 | #115 |
| 1905 | — | — | 140 | #149 |
| 1900 | — | — | 141 | #149 |
| 1895 | — | — | 95 | #165 |
| 1890 | — | — | 99 | #144 |
| 1885 | — | — | 71 | #185 |
| 1880 | — | — | 52 | #230 |
Famous people named Max
- Max Weber Sociologist · 1864–1920
- Max Planck Physicist · 1858–1947
- Max von Sydow Actor · 1929–2020
- Max Ernst Painter · 1891–1976
- Max Müller Linguist · 1823–1900
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Max mean?
Borrowed from German Max, diminutive of Maximilian in the 19th century, later also used as a nickname for Maxwell.
How popular is the name Max in 2025?
Max ranked #180 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 2,025 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Max?
168,577 babies have been named Max in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Max most popular?
Max peaked in 2009, when 3,969 newborns received the name.
Is Max a boy or girl name?
Max is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Max rising or falling?
Max is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Max?
Well-known people named Max include Max Weber (sociologist), Max Planck (physicist), Max von Sydow (actor).