Max is the short form of Maximilian and Maxwell and goes back to the Latin maximus, which means "greatest". It has long stood on its own as a full name, from the boy in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are to Mad Max; today it is a top 10 name in several European countries. Max ranked 165th in the United States in 2000, entered the top 100 in 2010, peaked at number 96 in 2011 and stands at number 180 in 2025.