Maximillian
A name of Latin origin meaning "the greatest".
Name Census estimates that about 5,708 living Americans carry the first name Maximillian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Maximillian today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Maximillian births was 1999 (250 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Maximillian. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
5.7K
~ 1 in 60,048 Americans
Peak year
1999
250 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,160
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Maximillian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Maximillian from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 2,007 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Maximillian by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Maximillian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Maximillians live
The SSA's state-level files cover 25 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Maximillian, while Nevada, Iowa, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 148 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Maximillian
The name Maximillian has its origins in the Latin language. It is a combination of the words "maximus" meaning "greatest" and "Aemilius" which was a Roman family name. The name was widely used during the Roman Empire, particularly among the aristocratic and wealthy classes who valued names with powerful and prestigious meanings.
In the 4th century AD, the name gained popularity in Christian contexts after St. Maximilian of Tebessa, a Christian martyr who was executed for refusing to serve in the Roman army. His example inspired many parents to name their sons Maximillian as a symbol of their faith and commitment to Christianity.
The name Maximillian was also found in medieval European texts, particularly in Germany and Austria where it was often associated with nobility and royalty. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 to 1519. He was known for his strong leadership and his efforts to consolidate the Hapsburg dynasty's power in Europe.
Another notable figure bearing the name Maximillian was Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria from 1679 to 1726. He was a skilled military commander and played a significant role in the War of the Spanish Succession, leading Bavarian forces against the Hapsburgs.
In the 19th century, Maximillian I was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire, ruling from 1864 to 1867 before being executed by Mexican forces. Despite his short reign, he left a lasting impact on Mexican history and culture.
The name Maximillian also had its place in the arts. Maximilian Schell, an Austrian-Swiss actor born in 1930 and died in 2014, won an Academy Award for his performance in the 1961 film "Judgment at Nuremberg." His portrayal of a German defense attorney in the Nuremberg trials was widely acclaimed.
Another notable bearer of the name was Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz in 1941. His act of self-sacrifice and compassion earned him recognition as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church.
People
Maximillian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Maximillian as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Maximillian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Maximillian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5,708 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Maximillian going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 60,048 US residents.
Is Maximillian a common name?
We classify Maximillian as "Rare". It ranks above 96.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5,880 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Maximillian most popular?
The single biggest year for Maximillian was 1999, when 250 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Maximillian is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Maximillian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Maximillian in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.