Maxim is the Russian and French form of the Latin Maximus and means "greatest". The writer Maxim Gorky made it a household name in Russia, and in the United States it is a favorite of families with Eastern European roots who want a shorter alternative to Maximilian. Maxim ranked number 964 in 2000, peaked at number 687 in 2012, dropped out of the top 1000 in 2020 and stands at number 1524 in 2025.