NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Maximillian

A name of Latin origin meaning "the greatest".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Maximillian is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Maximillian popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1162, with 24 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2011, with 100 births.

This profile covers 1,882 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 24% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,910 living people in the UK are called Maximillian. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Maximillian ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 24 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2011, when 100 boys were registered as Maximillian.
  • Maximillian ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #686 in 2015.
  • About 1,910 living people in the UK are estimated to have Maximillian as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#1162

2024

Births in 2024

24

Latest year

Peak year

2011

100 births

Estimated living

1,910

2026

Meaning

What does Maximillian mean?

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Maximillian over time

The chart below shows babies named Maximillian registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Maximillian, the clearest high point is 2011. The latest England and Wales figure is 24 births in 2024, compared with 100 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Maximillian
0255075100199620102024

Decades

Maximillian by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Maximillian was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #1162 127 5
2010s #604 634 10
2000s #390 796 10
1990s #311 325 4

Geography

Where Maximillian is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Maximillian. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Maximillian ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #686 in 2015.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Maximillian in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#686 in 2015

11 years of NRS records, 44 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Maximillian

  • Maximillian Milne

    rock climber

    British sport climber

    2000-

  • Maximillian Roeg

    actor; film actor

    British actor

    1985-

  • Maximillian Chaytor Dickinson

    (born 1981)

    1981-

Related

Names similar to Maximillian

FAQ

Maximillian: questions and answers

How popular is the name Maximillian in the UK right now?

In 2024, Maximillian was ranked #1162 for boys in England and Wales, with 24 births registered.

When was Maximillian most popular?

The peak year on record was 2011, with 100 babies registered as Maximillian in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Maximillian?

A name of Latin origin meaning "the greatest".

How many people are called Maximillian in the UK?

A total of 1,882 babies have been registered as Maximillian across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 44 more in Scotland.

Where is Maximillian most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Maximillian ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #686 in 2015. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.