Benjamin vs Max
Benjamin and Maxcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and Max #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #48 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
Benjamin and Max over time
Benjamin and Max appear together in 6 published lists, across 217 years of shared records. Benjamin held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Max in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 6 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Benjamin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Max in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Northern Ireland · Boys, Max moved into the top 50 at #26 in 2011 as Benjamin fell out of it to #52, having been #40 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2011, Max moved ahead of Benjamin in England and Wales · Boys — #22 and #23 the year before became #25 and #20.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and Max changed places 5 times in New South Wales, Australia · Boys between 1992 and 2025, ending at #46 and #30.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and Max averaged 15.6 places apart, ending at #61 and #44.
- Mirrored each other
Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Max rose about as far as Benjamin fell — from #37 and #210 in 1997 to #76 and #30 in 2024.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Max were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 33 years, from 1992 to 2025, ending at #46 and #30.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Benjamin #50 in 2020, Max #27 in 2022.
List by list
Norway · Boys55 shared years, 1962–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 52 of those years, Max in 3.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, Max #60 in 2012.
The order changed in 1973: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1972 they stood at #435 and #365; by 1973 that had become #298 and #448.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, Max #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys41 shared years, 1973–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Max in 18.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Max #27 in 2022.
The order changed in 2008: Max moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #56 and #69; by 2008 that had become #63 and #56.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, Max #41.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys33 shared years, 1992–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Max in 9.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 1992, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2021: Max moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #29 and #34; by 2021 that had become #32 and #25.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, Max #30.
New Zealand · Boys31 shared years, 1992–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Max in 6.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2021: Max moved ahead. In 2020 they stood at #22 and #27; by 2021 that had become #43 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, Max #29.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Max in 14.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Max #18 in 2012.
The order changed in 2011: Max moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #22 and #23; by 2011 that had become #25 and #20.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Max in 14.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Max #22 in 2015.
The order changed in 2011: Max moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #40 and #45; by 2011 that had become #52 and #26.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, Max #30.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Benjamin | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈmæks/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- Benjamin's recorded meaning differs from Max's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Max
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #359 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1992–2023
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in New Zealand, in 2016 (recorded 1992–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys