| Aurelius | Maximilian | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | golden | Greatest |
| Origin | latin | Latin |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | aw-REEL-ee-us | mak-suh-MIL-ee-un |
| Syllables | 4 | 5 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1907 |
| Peak year | 2025 (230) | 2016 (717) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 497 |
| Trend | Rising | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Aurelius | Maximilian |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 876 | 3,153 |
| 2010s | 454 | 6,508 |
| 2000s | 164 | 5,101 |
| 1990s | 27 | 2,761 |
| 1980s | 35 | 928 |
| 1970s | 43 | 260 |
| 1960s | 23 | 102 |
| 1950s | 5 | 12 |
| 1940s | 13 | 5 |
| 1930s | 20 | 12 |
| 1920s | 59 | 39 |
| 1910s | 45 | 54 |
| 1900s | 0 | 5 |
Roman family name from Latin 'aureus' ('golden'), ultimately from 'aurum' (gold). Borne by the emperor Marcus Aurelius; a literal 'golden' meaning.
From the Latin Maximilianus, from maximus, “greatest.”
Maximilian is more popular than Aurelius today: about 497 US babies were given the name Maximilian in 2025, compared with 0 named Aurelius.
Aurelius means golden (latin origin), while Maximilian means Greatest (Latin origin).
In US records, Aurelius first appears in 0 and Maximilian in 1907, so Aurelius has the longer recorded history.