Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Maksim

Maxim and Maksim are both transcriptions of the Russian Максим which is equivalent to the Latin Maximus. Maximus originated as a Roman cognomen (nickname) in ancient times from the Latin word for “the greatest”. In ancient Rome’s naming structure, known as the tria nomina, the cognomen was the third name given to men and the last element of the full Roman name (it was preceded by the given name and clan name). Originally reserved for the aristocracy, the cognomen usually referred to a moral or physical attribute distinct to the family. Maximus is obviously one of the least modest of such nicknames. Quintus Fabius Maximus was an early bearer of the name in the 3rd century B.C. and came from a long line of early Roman Consuls (the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic). Q. Fabius Maximus was notable for his dictatorship during the Second Punic War against Carthage and their leader Hannibal. Having recently suffered a massive defeat, the senate elected Q. Fabius Maximus in a panic and willingly let him assume a dictatorship role. The military strategy employed by Fabius Maximus is known as “war of attrition” whereby the enemy is worn down over a prolonged period of time. He knew Hannibal’s army was superior so it was actually the smartest course of action. The only problem was that the ancient Romans expected heroic battles on a large scale and saw the “Fabian tactics” as cowardly. In any case, Maximus was a name adopted by the Russians thanks to the importance of a few early saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church (Russians have a long tradition of naming children off a pre-approved list of saints given to parents compliments of the Russian Orthodox Church). Maxim Gorky, born Alexei Maximovich Peshkov, was a notable Russian citizen and strong literary voice to emerge around the time of the Russian Revolution. Maxim or Maksim (Максим) is currently a Top 10 most common baby boy's name in Russia and the Ukraine.

All About the Baby Name – Maksim

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME MAKSIM

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME MAKSIM

Despite what it looks like, Maksim is a legitimate transcription of the Russian Maxim. It looks like one of those amusing respellings some American parents are so fond of, but it’s for real. Actually, Максим is what it really looks like in Russian. The spelling of Maksim just surfaced in 2011 on the charts. This particular form of Maximus is the newest to the charts. It’s quirky and different, and therefore appealing to some parents. It is still quite uncommon but if the other Max names are any benchmark, this one should grow in popularity too.

Quick Facts

ON MAKSIM

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Russian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

973

PRONUNCIATION:

MAKS-im (English); mahk-SEEM (Russian)

SIMPLE MEANING:

Greatest

Characteristics

OF MAKSIM

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Maksim

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME MAKSIM

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Maksim

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME MAKSIM

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Maksim


Popular Songs

ON MAKSIM

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Maksim


Famous People

NAMED MAKSIM

We cannot find any celebrities or significantly famous people with the first name Maksim.

Children of Famous People

NAMED MAKSIM

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Maksim

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME MAKSIM

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Maksim