Dan vs Max
Dan 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.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dan was ranked #727 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Dan was ranked #278 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #286 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Dan was ranked #1460 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #456 and Max #72 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Dan was ranked #5687 and Max #5687 among girls in England and Wales.
Dan and Max over time
Dan and Max appear together in 4 published lists, across 140 years of shared records. Max held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dan in 1.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Dan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 moved ahead of the other
In 1999, Max moved ahead of Dan in Norway · Boys — #206 and #211 the year before became #287 and #182.
- Longest-running competitions
Dan and Max were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 57 years, from 1946 to 2025, ending at #456 and #72.
List by list
Norway · Boys57 shared years, 1946–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 34 of those years, Max in 23.
Highest recorded here: Dan #75 in 1987, Max #60 in 2012.
The order changed in 1999: Max moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #206 and #211; by 1999 that had become #287 and #182.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #456, Max #72.
Republic of Ireland · Boys34 shared years, 1987–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 31.
Highest recorded here: Dan #205 in 2005, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #286, Max #41.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dan #476 in 1997, Max #18 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dan #1460, Max #44.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2024
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 20.
Highest recorded here: Dan #200 in 2023, Max #22 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dan #278, 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 | Dan | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmæks/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 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); Dan does not have one recorded yet.
- Dan and Max both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Max; Dan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Dan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #456 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · 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