Explore the Family Name Max

The meaning of Max

1. German, Flemish, and Dutch: from a short form of the personal name Maximilian (from Latin Maximillianus, a derivative of Maximillus, a diminutive of Maximus ‘greatest’), borne by a 3rd-century Christian saint venerated particularly in the region of Passau, where he founded a church. The personal name was comparatively rare at the most productive period of surname formation; it gained popularity from the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (born 1459), who was named by his father, Frederick III of Austria, in honor of the Roman heroes Q. Fabius Maximus and Scipio Aemilianus, as if with a combination of their names. The name is also borne by Ashkenazic Jews, presumably as an adoption of the German surname. 2. English: variant of Macks.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Max in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Max has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Max was ranked as the 10,037th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 11,388th spot, indicating a change of -13.46%. The count of individuals with this surname also declined from 2,962 in 2000 to 2,769 in 2010, a drop of -6.52%. Consequently, the proportion of people with the Max surname per 100,000 decreased by -14.55% during the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#10,037#11,388-13.46%
Count2,9622,769-6.52%
Proportion per 100k1.10.94-14.55%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Max

The ethnicity breakdown of the Max surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, indicates some shifts in ethnic identity over the decade. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with the surname saw a substantial decrease of -60.24% between 2000 and 2010. Those who identified as belonging to two or more races increased by 34.48%, while those who identified as White saw a modest increase of 3.65%. The Hispanic representation within the Max surname saw a significant increase of 56.26%, whereas the percentage of Black individuals slightly decreased by -5.59%. Lastly, American Indian and Alaskan Native representation saw a mild increase of 4.44%.

20002010Change
White76.2%78.98%3.65%
Hispanic4.39%6.86%56.26%
Black6.08%5.74%-5.59%
Asian/Pacific Islander9.18%3.65%-60.24%
American Indian and Alaskan Native2.7%2.82%4.44%
Two or More Races1.45%1.95%34.48%

Max ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Max is British & Irish, which comprises 26.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (20.7%) and French & German (16.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish26.9%
Ashkenazi Jewish20.7%
French & German16.3%
Other36.2%
Max

Possible origins of the surname Max

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Max have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom58.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom58.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom57.80%
West Midlands, United Kingdom57.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom57.80%

What Max haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Max is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-P179 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Abram, Hack, Corrado, Steinman, Constantino, Alex, Georges, Fleischer, Provenzano, Baptiste.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Max surname are: N, H1, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

maxPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Max have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Max

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Max" Surname 29.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Max

Cheek Dimples

Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.

"Max" Surname 53.8%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Max

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Max" Surname 20.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Max

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Max" Surname 14.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Max?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Max are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%