Max (given name)

Max (/ˈmæks/) is a given name. In the masculine, it is often short for Maximilian, Maxim, Maxwell, Maxfield, or Maximus in English; Maximos in Greek; or Maxime or Maxence in French.[1] In the feminine it usually stands for Maxine. On either side the name Max is popular. In the United States it has been a constant presence on popularity charts since the government began tracking naming trends in 1880. Almost all Max names derive from the Latin Maximus, in circulation since the Classical Era and used in Ancient Rome as a cognomen. This was the third name in the three-part system known as the tria nomina. The cognomen began as a nickname and would have been given to men of the patrician class who demonstrated traits of greatness. The name Maximus was introduced to the Celtic Britons during the 1st century Roman occupation. Maximus the Confessor was a 7th-century monk and theologian from Constantinople. Μost of the Max names celebrate their name day on 21 January according to the Greek Orthodox Church.