Max and Maximilian

[caitlinrose]

We haven't really gotten anywhere with our boys list yet as I dislike most of my husband's suggestions and I only have a very short list myself.

A name I've always really liked is Max. I think it's handsome and classic. My husband likes it as well.

What do you think of Max? Would you say it's common where you are? Is it maybe already a bit dated? Most men named Max I've met are now 20-something. But my husband has a thing for names from roughly his own generation (80s/90s) so he doesn't mind. To me it just feels more like a "my own generation" sort of name like Rachel or Sarah (even though not nearly as common).

Another name I was thinking about is Maximilian, Max for short. I think it would give him more options but my husband doesn't like it as much (he doesn't mind, though, as long as he can call him Max) and maybe feels a bit more grown up? On the other hand I'm not sure if I'd ever call him by his full name and Max doesn't feel as incomplete to me as other short forms.

Thoughts on Max and Maximilian? (all other forms are out of the question, we don't care for Maxime, Maxwell etc.).

Always makes me think of …..

Mr entertainment

We have a Max. Fabulous name

Short n sweet

I have a Max....never knew it was in the top 100 names. In the 12 years he has been alive we have never come across one in his school or football/hockey clubs. I love it!

Absolutely love the name Max and it definitely doesn't need a longer version (I dislike all of them)

Maximilian nn Max is a classic name, I don't think it's dated. I know several Max's, all of different ages and it suits them all. It's not massively out there but it's a good, solid name.

Wouldn't you have to do that for all of the names then, though? In order for it to be accurate? Just wondering.

Because if you combine all names like that Max would get pushed down again. All of the Alex-names (Alexander, Aleksander, Alexei, Alexis, Alexandre, Alex) as well as Ollie and Oliver, Alfie and Alfred, Theodore and Theo, Henry and Henri, Frederick and Freddie, Finn and Finlay/Finley etc.

But I'm not sure whether that's always accurate because we just never know if a Theodore goes by Theodore or Ted or Teddy or Theo or whether a Maxime goes by Max or Maxi or Maxime. The Maxime I know goes by his full name, for example.

It is something to think about, though! So thank you for your input.

I don't have an issue with popular names. I just want to avoid there being 5 in every class but that doesn't seem to be the case judging from most people's experiences here.

I have a Max who is early 20s now. There was only ever him with the name in his year group. I don't consider it to be boring or common, but obviously it isn't so unusual that it stands out as rare. I went with Christopher as a middle name - I do think that if you go for a short first name, you need a longer middle one for balance.

This. I love Macsen. If Max wasn't such a popular nickname I'd have used it for my son.

I find Max overused and starting to sound a little dated.

I like Christopher!

I like Max. We had a cat called Max and he was ace

Yes, you absolutely would! The British Baby Names blog used to do a ‘combined spellings’ top 100 which was always very interesting. Some of your examples might overlap - Freddie could be Freddie, or Frederick, or Alfred, but you wouldn’t put the Alfreds in there because so many of them might go by Alfie. It’s a very inexact science but Max is a bit simpler as there is overwhelmingly one diminutive from all of the longer names and it’s very very likely that many of those boys will be known as Max by the end of primary school even if the full name is still used at home.

Anyway, it’s just for interest. You asked if it was common and I think looking at the combined numbers, imperfect as it is, can be helpful to get a pretty accurate feel for overall popularity. FWIW I think it’s a great name and Maximilian was in our final two for DS before we went for something Biblical.

I’m a Maximilian but don’t wield it very often as 5 syllables is quite a mouthful

Meh. I find the name Max quite boring and overused. You can do better!

I have a Max too and never wanted it to be a longer name. I like unpretentious simple names. He never had another Max in his class and I think there was only one other in his year group. He's a lovely young man now but a bit lazy ...but I guess that's no baring on the name 😁

DD also has a short name and never had another child of the same name in class and I think there wasn't even another one like it in school.

Old thread I know but we have a Maximilian and I love it - nn Maxy day to day.

I am a teacher so pretty hard to please but only have one other boy called Max (Maximus) and he’s lovely so don’t mind the connection.