Max
2025 SSA
2025 SSA
About Max
Max was derived from Maximilian, a Latin name that originated from the Roman family name Maximus. The character name Max in the children's classic Where the Wild Things Are had an impact on baby namers. Max is a widely used name internationally.
Max for boys#180 US
Max was transformed from cigar-chomping grandpa to rosy-cheeked baby in the 1980s, along with card-playing partners Sam and Jake. Never quite as popular as it seemed, Max is now close to the the highest it's been on the Social Security list since 1917, after which German-sounding names went out of favor.
Max has been a popular starbaby name for decades, most recently for the sons of Christina Aguilera, Cynthia Nixon and Charlie Sheen, while other celebs, such as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, have used more formal appellations--Maximilian, Maxwell, Maxfield--on the birth certificate to get to the nickname Max. Skater Scott Hamilton put his own spin on it by maximizing the spelling of his son's name to Maxx.
Warning: Max has long been among the most popular dog names.
Max for girls#3687 US
If Sam can make it as a girl's name, why not Max? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's eldest daughter Maxima goes by Max, but you could also use it as a short form for Maxine, Maximilienne or even Margaux.
Pronounced MAKS.
As of October 2026, Max ranked #180 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #96 in 2011, Nameberry popularity #67.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #112 | 3,497 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #118 | 3,419 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #118 | 3,423 | #3,086 | 54 |
| 2017 | #128 | 3,145 | #3,676 | 42 |
| 2018 | #136 | 2,877 | #2,953 | 56 |
| 2019 | #137 | 2,752 | #4,855 | 28 |
| 2020 | #147 | 2,484 | #2,461 | 71 |
| 2021 | #160 | 2,410 | #3,095 | 53 |
| 2022 | #157 | 2,388 | #3,148 | 52 |
| 2023 | #163 | 2,201 | #2,456 | 73 |
| 2024 | #175 | 2,120 | #3,470 | 45 |
| 2025 | #180 | 2,025 | #3,687 | 41 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Max.
Similar boy names
Similar girl names
Max on lists
Famous Maxs
- Max Emilian VerstappenBoy
Dutch Formula 1 Driver
- Karl Emil Maximilian "Max" WeberBoy
German sociologist
- Max BeckerBoy
guitarist in rock band SWMRS
- Carl Adolf "Max" von SydowBoy
Swedish actor
- Max GreenfieldBoy
American actor
- Maximillian Kolenda "Max" PaciorettyBoy
American ice hockey player
- Maximillion Drake "Max" ThieriotBoy
American actor
- Maximillian Weisner "Max" Starks IVBoy
American NFL football player
- Maxwell McCandless "Max" UngerBoy
American NFL football player
- Maximillian Alberto "Max" GeorgeBoy
English singer of The Wanted
- Max ChangminBoy
South Korean singer of duo TVXQ
- Max LloydBoy
Jones, American actor
- Max CharlesBoy
American actor
- Max StanleyBoy
aka Maxmoefoe, Australian YouTuber
- Max Carver (born Robert Maxwell Martensen)Boy
American actor; twin brother Charlie Carver
- Max PerlichBoy
American actor
- Maxwell M. "Max" ScherzerBoy
American baseball player
- Max Karl Ernst Ludwig PlanckBoy
German theoretical physicist; Nobel Prize winner
- Max BornBoy
German physicist and mathematician; Nobel prize winner
- Max Theodor Felix von LaueBoy
German physicist; Nobel prize winner
- Max Ludwig Henning DelbrückBoy
German,ÂÂAmerican biophysicist; Nobel prize winner
- Max RiemeltBoy
German actor
- Max Factor (born Maksymilian Faktorowicz)Boy
Polish,Jewish founder of cosmetics giant Max Factor & Company
- Max BrooksBoy
son of actors Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft
- Max BernsteinBoy
son of screenwriter Nora Ephron and journalist Carl Bernstein
- Max FuseBoy
son of actress Olivia Hussey and musician Akira Fuse
- Max Samuel SpielbergBoy
son of film director Steven Spielberg
- Max ToddBoy
son of reality TV personality Lisa Vanderpump and Ken Todd
- Max CohnBoy
son of singer Marc Cohn
- Maxwell J. "Max" HeardBoy
late son of actor John Heard
- Max Greathouse AllenBoy
son of Kara Kennedy; grandson of Sen. Ted Kennedy
- Max McGinleyBoy
son of actor John McGinley
- Max FavreauBoy
son of actor Jon Favreau
- Max WhitfieldBoy
son of singer Patricia Lewis and Mark Whitfield
- Max Ullrich (b. 2007)Boy
son of cyclist Jan Ullrich
- Max Hugh Gorman (b. 2008)Boy
son of actor Burn Gorman
- Max Liron Bratman (b. 2008)Boy
son of singer Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman
- Maxwell Mark "Max" Croft (b. 2008)Boy
son of singer Kerry Katona and Mark Croft
- Max Sheen (b. 2009)Boy
son of actor Charlie Sheen
- Max Aaron Gottfried (b. 2009)Boy
son of comedian Gilbert Gottfried
- Max Schmeichel (b. 2010)Boy
son of footballer Kasper Schmeichel
- Max Corden (b. 2011)Boy
son of TV host James Corden
- Max Ellington NixonBoy
Marinoni (b. 2011), son of actress Cynthia Nixon
- Max Wilde Presnall (b. 2012)Boy
son of musicians Derek and Jamie Presnall
- Max Neville Ling (b. 2012)Boy
son of AFL player Cameron Ling
- Max O'Gara (b. 2014)Boy
son of rugby union player Ronan O'Gara
- Max Red Caspe (b. 2015)Boy
son of actress Casey Wilson
- Max Bowie Band (b. 2016)Boy
son of singer Alex Band of The Calling
- Max KermanBoy
lead singer of the Arkells
- Max MillerBoy
comedian
- Max Rainier Casiraghi (b.2018)Boy
son of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo
- Max Walker Lauren (b.2018)Boy
son of David and Lauren Bush Lauren. Great,grandson of George H.W. and Barbara Bush.
- Max Mario Fletcher (b. 2018)Boy
son of singer Tom Fletcher & author Giovanna Fletcher.
- Max Charles Murphy (b. 2018)Boy
son of American comedian and actor Eddie Murphy
- Max Milo Peck (b. 2018)Boy
son of American actor and comedian Josh Peck
- Maxima Chan "Max" ZuckerbergGirl
daughter of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
- Max Alice Tsvetnenko (b. 2013)Girl
daughter of Zhenya Tsvetnenko
Max in pop culture
- Maximiliano (Max) KellerBoy
main male character in Scarlett Avery’s book “Undeniable Fascination”.
- MaxBoy
main character in Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are"
- MaxBoy
dog in Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
- "Mad Max" RockatanskyBoy
main character in the "Mad Max" movie series
- Max BialystockBoy
main character in movie and musical "The Producers"
- Max FischerBoy
main character in movie "Rushmore"
- MaxBoy
character of Canadian dance show "The Next Step"
- MaxBoy
rabbit character on animated series "Max and Ruby"
- MaxBoy
character on animated series "Dragon Tales"
- Max EvansBoy
character on TV's "Roswell"
- Max BlumBoy
character on TV's "Happy Endings"
- Max BranningBoy
character on British soap "EastEnders"
- Max MillerBoy
psychic on early season of "Supernatural"
- Max de la CostaBoy
character in movie "Elysium"
- MaxBoy
main character in movie "Sharkboy and Lavagirl"
- Maxwell "Max" SmartBoy
main character on TV's "Get Smart"
- Max ThundermanBoy
character on TV's "The Thundermans"
- Maximillion "Max" GalacticaBoy
character in video game "Ace Attorney"
- MaxBoy
character on TV's "24"
- MaxBoy
character in Comet Man comics
- MaxBoy
talking spaceship in movie "Flight of the Navigator"
- MaxBoy
character in the Pokemon animated series
- MaxBoy
rabbit character in the Sam & Max series
- Max VandenburgBoy
character in Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief"
- Max BritskyBoy
main character in "Max" by Howard Fast
- Max RhaymerBoy
character from the 2016 TV movie "Backstabbed"
- Max FactorBoy
cosmetic company
- MaxBoy
main character in the Rooster Teeth animated series "Camp Camp"
- Maximilian 'Max' MillerBoy
character from Netflix's "Greenhouse Academy"
- Max KanteBoy
character from "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir"
- Max FullerBoy
character on Netflix,series "Fuller House"
- Max GoldmanBoy
character in the 1993 film "Grumpy Old Men" & the 1995 sequel "Grumpier Old Men"
- Max RigelBoy
character in the Zodiac Academy series
- Maximum "Max" RideGirl
title character in the book series by James Patterson
- Max GuevaraGirl
character in TV's "Dark Angel," played by Jessica Alba
- Maxine "Max" HardyGirl
character on "The Following," portrayed by Jessica Stroup
- Maxine "Max" CaulfieldGirl
main character in video game "Life Is Strange"
- Maxine George "Max" BlackGirl
character in TV's "2 Broke Girls," portrayed by Kat Dennings
- Maxine "Max" MayfieldGirl
character on Netflix's Stranger Things
- Max FoxGirl
character, daughter of Sam Fox on Better Things television series
- Max MitchellGirl
lead female character on Wild Cards television series