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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Maxwell or Maximilian?

39 replies

Rainingpouring1 · 03/08/2025 06:18

Which do you prefer?

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MaxJLHardy · 04/08/2025 21:36

Maximilian, but then I am biased.

Emanwenym · 04/08/2025 11:41

@Jellybean23 , it will be stressed on the first syllable in the UK. You'd need to spell it Maxime to get the Max-eem pronunciation, but it looks feminine and would get mixed up with Maxine.

Jellybean23 · 03/08/2025 22:38

Maxim is also a possibility (pronounced Maxeem with the emphasis on the second syllable).

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 03/08/2025 22:25

neither. Just Max or if you want something longer then Maxim

Calliopespa · 03/08/2025 21:39

A poster commented the other day that parents of Maximilians always seem to insist on the whole shebang; you aren't allowed to shorten it. I had to reflect on reading that that it has indeed been my experience of the name. I think that is the sort of attitude people are referring to when they say it is pretentious.

I personally don't really like any of the Max names. "Max" (ditto Magnus and Maximus) just has too much meaning as biggest of all. It just never seems to sit well with the boys I've known, some of whom have been physically tiny and it seems ludicrous, and others who have had kind of overbearing personalities and, again, it isn't flattering.

I'm not sure I really see the appeal.

LucasBuck · 03/08/2025 20:38

Maximilian is very nice or if you are concerned it’s a bit long (I don’t think it is personally but admittedly there aren’t many 5 syllable boys names), then just Maxim, as is popular throughout the rest of Europe, is really lovely too.

Maxwell is a surname and also makes me think of coffee (Maxwell House), it just doesn’t feel as classic as Maximilian/Maxim. People sometimes suggest Maximus for Max too but personally I think that’s still too much Gladiator.

TickTockBridget · 03/08/2025 14:55

Or Maxton? I knew a very nice Labrador called Maxton, named after a stretch of the river Tweed.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 03/08/2025 14:18

Macsen is gorgeous! Often shortened to Macs or Macsi in my experience

Emanwenym · 03/08/2025 14:05

LancashireButterPie · 03/08/2025 13:40

Agree that Macsen is gorgeous.

It's not very nice said as Maxon.

yoshiblue · 03/08/2025 13:47

I love Maximilian, yes European feel, it’s very popular in Germany too.

LancashireButterPie · 03/08/2025 13:40

Agree that Macsen is gorgeous.

LancashireButterPie · 03/08/2025 13:38

I met a very tiny adult Maximus recently.
His name really didn't suit the poor fella.

DJEvil · 03/08/2025 13:30

Maxwell is my favourite. It has a warmer feel than Maximilian to me. I also really like the Welsh Macsen.

Emanwenym · 03/08/2025 13:13

Just Max.

GoldenRosebee · 03/08/2025 09:49

I prefer Maximilian. But don't like Max as standalone at all, so both Maxwell and Maximilian are good.

I'm not keen on using short name for child because short names are popular for a dog for a reason. Dogs tend to remember shorter names better.

pinksky78 · 03/08/2025 09:44

Maximilian is fab! I wish exdp had liked it as that is what ds20 would have been.

JillyGiraffe · 03/08/2025 09:34

Max was on our list of baby names for DS and I was torn between Max as a standalone name or Maximilian nn Max. I think I would have gone for Max as I’d have never used the full name and there’ll always be the issue of ‘is that one ‘l’ or two?’. Not keen on Maxwell.

HarryVanderspeigle · 03/08/2025 08:36

Maxwell makes me think of Robert Maxwell. But that is an association for my generation, kids being born now will never hear of him.

Orphlids · 03/08/2025 08:29

Maxwell makes me think of the little boy in the Adrian Mole book, who Adrian refers to as Maxwell House.

Maximilian is fantastic, I think. It has real character. I never understand quite what people mean when they say on here that a name is pretentious. Presumably, they think the name in question should be the preserve of the very rich, or the upper classes, and they assume the OP is neither of these things and should therefore stick to a name more in keeping with their socioeconomic standing? Who knows.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 03/08/2025 08:23

I can't remember if Max in Rebecca is Maximilian on his birth certificate, but he is often called Maxim de Winter, so that's another option, but I still much prefer Max. What a boon to have a nice short name that everybody can pronounce and everybody can spell, and which (at the moment, anyway) will often be on mugs, keyrings and other personalised items.

BoleynMemories13 · 03/08/2025 07:31

Max is fine as a standalone name. If you do intend to actually use the full name, I prefer Maxwell of the two. Five syllables is much too long, making Maximilian a real mouthful. I know a few Polish boys with this name (various spellings) and all are just known as Max/Maks.

WalkingaroundJardine · 03/08/2025 07:22

I prefer Maximilian. It has more of European vibe like Sebastian.

Maxwell on the other hand makes me imagine a little boy with a bow tie, outsized specs and a briefcase.

StrawberryCranberry · 03/08/2025 07:12

I prefer just Max.

Oaktree1952 · 03/08/2025 07:12

I understand wanting to give a full name to your child and use a nickname. But I must admit I don’t like either. What about Maddox?

susiedaisy1912 · 03/08/2025 07:10

SpuytenDuyvil · 03/08/2025 06:28

How about Maxfield, like the painter Maxfield Parrish?

I like that