Magnus is a Latin name that means "great". It became a given name in Scandinavia by way of Charlemagne, Carolus Magnus, whose Latin title was taken for a Norwegian king in the 11th century; since then a long line of Norwegian and Swedish kings, the saint Magnus of Orkney and the chess champion Magnus Carlsen have carried it. Magnus entered the US top 1000 in 2013, peaked at number 719 in 2017 and ranks number 765 in 2025.