Billy vs Max
Billy 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, Billy was ranked #86 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #234 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Billy was ranked #44 and Max #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #256 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Billy was ranked #39 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Billy was ranked #127 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2019, Billy was ranked #5591 and Max #5591 among girls in England and Wales.
Billy and Max over time
Billy and Max appear together in 3 published lists, across 94 years of shared records. Max held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Billy in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Billy and Max changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1987 and 2025, ending at #39 and #41.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 38 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Boys, Billy and Max averaged 34.8 places apart, ending at #39 and #41.
- Longest-running competitions
Billy and Max were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 38 years, from 1987 to 2025, ending at #39 and #41.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Billy #169 in 2015, Max #22 in 2015.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1987–2025
Billy held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Max in 30.
Highest recorded here: Billy #39 in 2025, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Billy #39, Max #41.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 29.
Highest recorded here: Billy #68 in 1998, Max #18 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #127, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys27 shared years, 1998–2024
Billy held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 27.
Highest recorded here: Billy #169 in 2015, Max #22 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Billy #256, 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 | Billy | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmæks/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #39 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Max has a recorded origin (Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim); Billy does not have one recorded yet.
- Billy has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- A meaning is recorded for Max; Billy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Billy
Popularity journey
First recorded1970
First recorded at #305 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1970 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2025
Highest recorded position: #39 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1970–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 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