Head to head · Boys' names
Maximilian vs Vicente
#590 vs #589 in 2025
Vicente is a whisker ahead (#589 vs #590 in 2025), but the curves point different ways: Vicente is back after a long quiet spell, Maximilian is stepping back from its peak.
Each name in full: Maximilian · Vicente
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
The tale of the tape
On the charts, Vicente leads 5 measures of 6; Maximilian leads 1.
Ranks, counts and years are measured in the official US birth record; the classroom and living figures are estimates computed from it. The dot marks the side each measure favours on the charts — more common, not better.
What the records say
146 years of US births, drawn on one scale
Two curves, one scale
Maximilian — stepping back from its peak. About 18,500 people named Maximilian are estimated to be alive in the US today.
Vicente — back after a long quiet spell. About 19,000 people named Vicente are estimated to be alive in the US today.
Who owned which decade
- 1880s: Maximilian —, Vicente #795 — Vicente higher
- 1890s: Maximilian —, Vicente #859 — Vicente higher
- 1900s: Maximilian #1345, Vicente #971 — Vicente higher
- 1910s: Maximilian #2787, Vicente #962 — Vicente higher
- 1920s: Maximilian #3302, Vicente #722 — Vicente higher
- 1930s: Maximilian #3183, Vicente #719 — Vicente higher
- 1940s: Maximilian #3560, Vicente #768 — Vicente higher
- 1950s: Maximilian #3632, Vicente #785 — Vicente higher
- 1960s: Maximilian #2739, Vicente #738 — Vicente higher
- 1970s: Maximilian #1894, Vicente #610 — Vicente higher
- 1980s: Maximilian #1105, Vicente #564 — Vicente higher
- 1990s: Maximilian #642, Vicente #562 — Vicente higher
- 2000s: Maximilian #492, Vicente #589 — Maximilian higher
- 2010s: Maximilian #448, Vicente #725 — Maximilian higher
- 2020s: Maximilian #557, Vicente #676 — Maximilian higher
Vicente stood higher in 12 of 15 decades; Maximilian has held the lead since the 2000s.
Rank by decade
| Decade | Maximilian | Vicente |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | — | #795 |
| 1890s | — | #859 |
| 1900s | #1345 | #971 |
| 1910s | #2787 | #962 |
| 1920s | #3302 | #722 |
| 1930s | #3183 | #719 |
| 1940s | #3560 | #768 |
| 1950s | #3632 | #785 |
| 1960s | #2739 | #738 |
| 1970s | #1894 | #610 |
| 1980s | #1105 | #564 |
| 1990s | #642 | #562 |
| 2000s | #492 | #589 |
| 2010s | #448 | #725 |
| 2020s | #557 | #676 |
Average national rank across each decade. A dash means the name sat outside the recorded top of that decade.
The names themselves
Meaning, roots, sound and the people who carried each
Where each name comes from
Maximilian
greatest
From Latin maximus, 'greatest', through the Roman name Maximilianus, an extended form of Maximus.
Maximus → Maximilianus → Maximilian → Max
How it traveled
The root is the Latin adjective maximus, and the longer Maximilianus was already in use in the late Roman world — borne by early Christian martyrs venerated in the Alpine and Balkan provinces. The name became a fixture of the House of Habsburg from the fifteenth century, when Maximilian I was elected Holy Roman Emperor, and from there it spread through Austria, Bavaria and the Catholic German-speaking lands as a princely and then an ordinary given name.
Vicente
conquering, prevailing
From Latin Vincentius, a derivative of vincere, 'to conquer'.
Vincentius → Vincent → Vicente
How it traveled
The Latin name Vincentius was popular among early Christians, for whom the idea of prevailing had a particular weight. Saint Vincent of Saragossa, a deacon martyred in the early fourth century, became patron of Lisbon and of Portugal, and Cape St Vincent on the Portuguese coast still carries his name — as São Vicente, the same name in Portuguese dress.
Where a reading is contested the note says so — this page does not turn a guess into a fact. The chain is each name's recorded forms, oldest first; the story is its opening, told in full on the name's own page.
Out loud, and in short
Maximilian
mak-si-MIL-ee-un
Four syllables in relaxed American speech (mak-si-MIL-yun) is equally standard. German speakers say mak-si-MEE-lee-ahn, with the stress further forward and a long ee in the middle.
- Max — The default short form in English and German alike, and long established as a standalone given name in its own right.
- Maxi — Standard informal form in Austria and southern Germany; used in English-speaking homes mainly in early childhood.
- Maximo — Occasionally used informally where the Spanish forms are also current; Máximo also exists as a separate given name.
- Milo — An informal pull from the middle of the name rather than a traditional short form; Milo is also a full name of its own.
Vicente
vee-SEN-teh
Stress on the middle syllable, and the final -e is sounded, not silent. Brazilian Portuguese softens the ending toward vee-SEN-chee; in most of Spain the c is a soft th, vee-THEN-teh.
- Vince — The everyday English-facing short form; also stands alone as a given name.
- Chente — A long-established Mexican Spanish hypocorism, informal and affectionate, used among family and friends.
- Vicentico — Spanish diminutive, informal; used for children and as a stage or nickname among adults.
- Vicen — Clipped Spanish form, informal, common in Spain.
Is it right for you
The differences that decide it, laid out by what you want
Choose by what you want
Choose Maximilian if you want…
- a name past its most crowded yearsMaximilian is stepping back from its peak
- a name with more sound in itMaximilian runs 5 syllables, Vicente 3
Choose Vicente if you want…
- a name on the way upup 175 places on the charts in five years
- a name with fewer syllablesVicente is 3 syllables to Maximilian's 5
Each line is a measured difference between the two names — a rank, a count, a recorded form — never a judgement of either. Save the one that answers your question; it lands on your shortlist.
The trade-offs, name by name
Maximilian
Strengths
- Comes with Max already built in — a short form so established that no explaining is ever needed, at any age or in any setting.
- Recognized on sight across German, Spanish, Italian, French and Polish, each with its own spelling of the same name.
- A documented line running from Roman antiquity through the Habsburg emperors to the present, with no gap in use.
To consider
- Maximillian, with a double L, is a persistent misspelling, and forms will often come back that way. Worth deciding early whether you correct it every time or let it go.
- Five syllables invite shortening, so in practice the child may be Max nearly all the time — and Max is considerably more common than the full name. If that trade doesn't appeal, this is the wrong long form.
- It sits close to Maximiliano, Maximo and Maximus, so expect occasional mix-ups, particularly in places where the Spanish forms are also widely used.
Vicente
Strengths
- Works unchanged in Spanish, Portuguese and English-speaking settings, with Vincent as the ready English counterpart.
- Spelled the way it sounds in Spanish, and short enough to write early: seven letters, no silent quirks.
- Carries centuries of established short forms — Vince for English contexts, Chente and Vicentico for family ones.
To consider
- English speakers often flatten the ending to 'vih-SENT' or reach for Vincent instead. Most families settle into one correction and let the rest go.
- The soft-c difference between Spain and Latin America means the name is said two ways by people who both consider theirs correct — worth deciding which you use at home.
- It is uncommon enough here that a child is unlikely to meet another. That means no last-initial in the classroom, and also a name that has to be spelled out on the phone now and then.
Documented properties of each name — how it spells, travels and shortens — not opinions about the child.
With your last name
Say both in full. The notes are facts about letters and sound — a rhyme, a shared initial, the monogram — not a verdict on either name.
Type a last name to hear Maximilian and Vicente in full.
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Decide together
Nobody names a baby alone
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More head-to-heads
Same measures, different pair. Sixty more are dealt daily in the arena.
Lists these names appear on
- Five-syllable names: the longest in real use
- Names with an X in them
- Names that begin and end with the same letter
- Vintage names making a comeback
- all guides
Where Maximilian and Vicente each sit in the library — alternatives in the same style, ranked by the same records.
Maximilian or Vicente — the short answers
- Which is more popular, Maximilian or Vicente?
- Vicente, in 2025: Vicente ranked #589 with 498 babies; Maximilian ranked #590 with 497 babies.
- Which name is rising faster, Maximilian or Vicente?
- Vicente. Over the last five years Maximilian moved down 97 places; Vicente moved up 175 places.
- Which is the older name, Maximilian or Vicente?
- Maximilian entered the US charts in 1907; Vicente entered the US charts in 1882. On the American record, Vicente is the older name.
- How many people are named Maximilian and Vicente?
- About 18,500 people named Maximilian are estimated to be alive in the US today. About 19,000 people named Vicente are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- Will there be other Maximilians or Vicentes in the classroom?
- Maximilian will almost certainly be the only one in school. Vicente will almost certainly be the only one in school.
US figures from the Social Security Administration, 1880–2025. Votes are battle voters on this site, not the birth record. Data & methodology
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