Name of the Day: Max

November 2

Max

Surrealist artist Max Ernst was born on this day November 2 in 1901 in Germany.

A 1901 baby Max would have been very fashionably named. One of the classic Old Man Names, Max peaked in popularity in 1914 and again just about a hundred years later, prime proof of the Hundred Year Rule.

Max has softened a bit in popularity, but there were almost 2400 baby boys named Max in the US last year, along with 51 girls. And then there are thousands of babies named Maxine, Maxwell, Maximilian, and so on.

While Max might not be a nickname for anything, it originated as a short form of the ancient Roman name Maximus, meaning “the greatest”.

We hear parents are turning to Mac or Mack as the next Max.