Max (English)

Where does "Max" come from?

The English name 'Max' was borrowed from German 'Max' during the 19th century as a diminutive of 'Maximilian'[1]. The underlying name 'Maximilian' traces back to the Latin 'Maximilianus', which is a derivative of 'Maximus' meaning 'the greatest'[2]. Later in English usage, 'Max' also became adopted as a nickname for 'Maxwell'[1].

Full etymology tree

• Max (English), 'A male given name from Latin.'
  • borrowed Max (German), 'an a popular diminutive of the male given name Maximilian'
    • derived Maximilian (German), 'a male given name, popular currently in Germany'
      • borrowed Maximilianus (Latin), 'A masculine cognomen'
        • derived Maximus (Latin), 'A Roman cognomen — famously held by'

Ancestors

• Max (German)

Descendants and derived words

• Mad Max (English)
• Maxie (English)
• Maxine (English)

Sources

1. Max (English) - Wiktionary
2. Maximilian (German) - Wiktionary
3. Maxwell (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

More words starting with M

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris