Hudson vs Max
Hudson 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 South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Hudson was ranked #8 and Max #30 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Hudson was ranked #10 and Max #29 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Hudson was ranked #54 and Max #29 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Hudson was ranked #99 and Max #30 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Hudson was ranked #188 and Max #41 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Hudson was ranked #42 and Max #44 among boys in England and Wales.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Hudson was ranked #5581 and Max #5581 among girls in England and Wales.
Hudson and Max over time
Hudson and Max appear together in 5 published lists, across 78 years of shared records. Max held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Hudson in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Max reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Hudson in none. 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 2018, Hudson moved ahead of Max in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #35 and #32 the year before became #25 and #27.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Hudson #143 in 2023, Max #27 in 2022.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Hudson held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Max in 27.
Highest recorded here: Hudson #42 in 2024, Max #18 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hudson #42, Max #44.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys14 shared years, 2012–2025
Hudson held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Max in 6.
Highest recorded here: Hudson #7 in 2023, Max #13 in 2014.
The order changed in 2018: Hudson moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #35 and #32; by 2018 that had become #25 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hudson #8, Max #30.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 2012–2025
Hudson held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 13.
Highest recorded here: Hudson #143 in 2023, Max #27 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Hudson #188, Max #41.
Northern Ireland · Boys12 shared years, 2013–2024
Hudson held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Max in 12.
Highest recorded here: Hudson #76 in 2023, Max #22 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Hudson #99, Max #30.
New Zealand · Boys10 shared years, 2014–2023
Hudson held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Max in 6.
Highest recorded here: Hudson #9 in 2022, Max #10 in 2016.
The order changed in 2020: Hudson moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #22 and #21; by 2020 that had become #20 and #27.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Hudson #10, Max #29.
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 | Hudson | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | 'Son of Hudde', an English surname associated with explorer Henry Hudson. | A short form of Maximilian or Maxim, ultimately from Latin 'maximus' (greatest). |
| Origin | English (patronymic surname) | Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhʌd.sən/ | /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 | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #8 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #30 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Hudson is recorded with a English (patronymic surname) origin, while Max is recorded with a Latin, via Maximilian/Maxim origin.
- Hudson has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Max.
- Hudson'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Hudson
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2863 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2012–2025
Highest recorded position: #7 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2012–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #8 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