Given name
Maxine
“the greatest”
In English use, Maxine is a feminine form of Max. In Latin use, Max carries the interpretation “the greatest.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Maxine carries the interpretation “the greatest.” In English use, Maxine is a feminine form of Max. In Latin use, Max carries the interpretation “the greatest.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Maxine is used as a feminine counterpart of Max.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1884. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Maxine through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 115,989
- 377 boys · 115,612 girls
- Most popular year
- 1924
- 3,672 babies
- 2025
- 597
- #497 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +62%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 597 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 497 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 61.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 3,659 in 1924. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (101). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 43,204 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Maxine’s family of names
In English usage, Maxine has a diminutive in Max. Maxine has a related form in Maxie. In English usage, Maxine is a feminine form of Max.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Maxine
- Maxine WatersUnited States Representative from California since 1991born 1938
- Maxine Hong KingstonChinese American authorborn 1940
- Maxine KuminAmerican poet and author (1925-2014)
- Maxine SingerAmerican molecular biologist (1931–2024)
- Maxine PeakeBritish actressborn 1974
- Maxine BahnsAmerican triathlete and actorborn 1971
- Maxine SullivanAmerican blues and jazz singer (1911-1987)
- Maxine Feldmanlesbian and non-binary musician1945–2007
- Maxine MedinaFilipina model, actress and beauty pageant winnerborn 1990
Characters named Maxine: Max Caulfield (video game Life Is Strange).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Maxine, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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