boys' name ★ peaked 2016

Maximilian

Meaning From German Maximilian, ultimately of Latin origin Gender Boy Rank 2025 #590 Trend ↓ Falling 15%

From German Maximilian, ultimately of Latin origin.

Rank 2025
#590
among boys · ↓3 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
497
named Maximilian · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 3,437
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2016
717 babies
All-time total
18,940
#853 all-time among boys
First recorded
1907
in Social Security records

Maximilian popularity over time

18,940 babies have been named Maximilian since 1907, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2016Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s 5 1 – #1,477
1910s 54 5 +980% #1,932
1920s 39 4 -28% #2,897
1930s 12 1 -69% #3,358
1940s 5 1 -58% #3,889
1950s 12 1 +140% #3,471
1960s 102 10 +750% #1,716
1970s 260 26 +155% #1,596
1980s 928 93 +257% #710
1990s 2,761 276 +198% #499
2000s 5,101 510 +85% #465
2010s 6,508 651 +28% #429
2020s (to 2025) 3,153 526 -19% #493

Where Maximilian is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 484 0.28 outside top 500
2027 473 0.28 outside top 500
2028 464 0.27 outside top 500
2029 456 0.27 outside top 500
2030 449 0.26 outside top 500

Where Maximilian is most popular

Boys named Maximilian per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.296 per 1,000. Strongest in Illinois, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Maximilian born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Illinois 169 0.661 +123%
Connecticut 37 0.547 +85%
Massachusetts 67 0.487 +65%
New Jersey 97 0.482 +63%
Kansas 33 0.481 +62%
New York 195 0.450 +52%
Washington 72 0.440 +49%
California 399 0.436 +47%
Arizona 70 0.428 +44%
Virginia 71 0.374 +26%
Florida 176 0.372 +26%
Colorado 47 0.364 +23%
Wisconsin 43 0.363 +23%
District of Columbia 5 0.339 +14%
Indiana 54 0.337 +14%
Michigan 67 0.327 +10%
Pennsylvania 85 0.320 +8%
Maryland 36 0.302 ≈ national
Ohio 74 0.279 -6%
Minnesota 33 0.269 -9%
Georgia 64 0.253 -15%
Texas 218 0.247 -16%
Missouri 33 0.238 -20%
North Carolina 54 0.211 -29%
Oregon 16 0.211 -29%
Nevada 12 0.210 -29%
Utah 18 0.189 -36%
Oklahoma 16 0.181 -39%
Tennessee 29 0.161 -46%
Nebraska 6 0.138 -53%
South Carolina 12 0.116 -61%
Iowa 8 0.116 -61%
Kentucky 5 0.050 -83%
Louisiana 5 0.049 -83%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Idaho – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Maximilian

Maximilian is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #590 in 2025 with 497 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1907, 18,940 American babies have been named Maximilian. Its peak came in 2016, when 717 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Maximilian stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Maximilian?

The median living Maximilian is about 15 years old; half are between 8 and 24. An estimated 19 thousand people named Maximilian are alive in the United States today.

median 15 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Maximilian year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 497 #590
2024 487 #587
2023 518 #561
2022 523 #567
2021 533 #548
2020 595 #493
2019 571 #502
2018 672 #448
2017 652 #464
2016 717 #433
2015 698 #438
2014 668 #446
2013 676 #429
2012 590 #460
2011 632 #432
2010 632 #435
2009 574 #476
2008 593 #465
2007 512 #514
2006 498 #519
2005 498 #497
2004 474 #514
2003 486 #503
2002 481 #482
2001 493 #478
2000 492 #478
1995 280 #614
1990 170 #779
1985 82 #1,010
1980 39 #1,560
1975 28 #1,773
1970 26 #1,733
1965 6 #3,793
1960 5 #4,405
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 6 #3,515
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 10 #2,897
1915 7 #3,275
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Maximilian

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Maximilian I of Mexico Maximilian I of Mexico Emperor of Mexico from 1864 to 1867 1832–1867 · 19th century
  2. 2 Maximilian Kolbe Maximilian Kolbe Polish Franciscan friar and saint (1894–1941) 19th century
  3. 3 Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 to 1519 1459–1519 · Medieval
  4. 4 Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell Swiss actor, filmmaker, and theatre director (1930–2014) Contemporary
  5. 5 Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor Holy Roman Emperor from 1564 to 1576 1527–1576 · 16th century
  6. 6 Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria King of Bavaria from 1806 to 1825 1756–1825 · 18th century
  7. 7 Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg Maximilian, Duke of Hohenberg Son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1902–1962) Contemporary
  8. 8 Maximilian von Weichs Maximilian von Weichs German Field Marshal 1881–1954 · 19th century
  9. 9 Maximilian II of Bavaria Maximilian II of Bavaria King of Bavaria from 1848 to 1864 1811–1864 · 19th century
  10. 10 Maximilian von Spee Maximilian von Spee German naval officer (1861–1914) 19th century
  11. 11 Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Duke of Bavaria from 1597 to 1623, Elector of Bavaria from 1623 to 1651 1573–1651 · 16th century
  12. 12 Maximilian, Margrave of Baden Maximilian, Margrave of Baden Head of the House of Baden b. 1933 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria Elector of Bavaria from 1679 to 1726 1662–1726 · 17th century
  14. 14 Maximilian Arnold Soccer player, Germany b. 1994 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg Duke of Leuchtenberg from 1835 to 1852 1817–1852 · 19th century
  16. 16 Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria Grand Master of the Teutonic Order 1558–1618 · 16th century
  17. 17 Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria Maximilian III Joseph, Elector of Bavaria Elector of Bavaria from 1745 to 1777 1727–1777 · 18th century
  18. 18 Maximilian Philipp Soccer player, Germany b. 1994 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony Maximilian, Hereditary Prince of Saxony Hereditary Prince of Saxony 1759–1838 · 18th century
  20. 20 Maximilian Bircher-Benner Maximilian Bircher-Benner Swiss physician (1867–1939) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Maximilian, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Maximilian?

The median living Maximilian is about 15 years old. Half of all living Maximilians are between 8 and 24 years old.

How many people named Maximilian are alive today?

An estimated 19 thousand people named Maximilian are alive in the United States, based on 18,940 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Maximilian mean?

From German Maximilian, ultimately of Latin origin.

How popular is the name Maximilian in 2025?

Maximilian ranked #590 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 497 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Maximilian?

18,940 babies have been named Maximilian in the United States since 1907, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Maximilian most popular?

Maximilian peaked in 2016, when 717 newborns received the name.

Is Maximilian a boy or girl name?

Maximilian is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Maximilian rising or falling?

Maximilian is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Maximilian become more popular?

Maximilian is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 449 boys named Maximilian in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Maximilian?

Well-known people named Maximilian include Maximilian I of Mexico (politician), Maximilian Kolbe (religious figure), Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (politician).

Names like Maximilian

Names that sound and feel close to Maximilian: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Maximilian with similar names → More names starting with M →