Maximilianus

Maximilianus is the Latinized form of the given name Maximilian. The name derives from the Latin Maximus, meaning “greatest,” with the suffix -ianus, which often means “belonging to” or “son of.” In late antiquity and the Middle Ages, Latinized versions such as Maximilianus and its cognate Maximianus were used in inscriptions, chronicles, and ecclesiastical writings to render names of people who were known in a Latin-speaking context.

Usage and scope: The form Maximilianus appears primarily in Latin texts and scholarly works that reference historical figures named Maximilian or Maximus. It is commonly employed for rulers, saints, and scholars in Western Europe when Latin was the language of record. In many cases, the same individual may appear under multiple Latin variants depending on the period and source.

Notable bearers and contexts: In antiquity, the cognate form Maximianus was borne by the Western Roman Emperor, a closely related Latin variant of the name. In the Early Modern period, Maximilianus I is the Latinized form used for Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459–1519). The name also occurs in hagiographical and ecclesiastical contexts in its Latinized form for various saints and clerics named Maximilian or Maximus.

See also: The given name Maximilian and its variants, and the Latin form Maximianus, which covers related historical usages. The article focuses on the usage of the Latinized form Maximilianus across historical sources rather than on any single biography.