Maksymilian

Maksymilian is a masculine given name of Polish origin. It is the Polish form of Maximilian, which comes from the Latin Maximilianus and means “the greatest.” The name has historical and contemporary use in Poland and among Polish communities abroad, and it has several international variants such as Maximilian (English) and Maximilien (French). In Polish, informal forms include Maks and Maksi, with other diminutives such as Maksio or Maksiu.

The name is used in various cultures and languages, often adapting to local phonetics while retaining the core form of Maximilian. In Poland, Maksymilian is a common given name across different generations, and it appears in religious, cultural, and secular contexts. The feminine form is rare but may appear in some contexts as Maksymiliana.

Notable bearers of the name include Maksymilian Kolbe (Saint Maximilian Kolbe, 1894–1941), a Polish Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger at Auschwitz and was later canonized as a saint. Another is Maksymilian Faktorowicz (1877–1938), a Polish-born American cosmetics entrepreneur who founded the Max Factor company. Maksymilian Gierymski (1846–1874) was a Polish painter known for his urban and genre scenes, and he was the brother of fellow painter Józef Gierymski.