Maksim

מַקְסִים

• Gender: Male
• Origin: Jew-ish
• Meaning: wonderful

• Maksim originates from the Latin word for "greatness" and has become a beloved name across Eastern Europe, from Russia to the Balkans and beyond. What many people do not realize is that in Hebrew, Maksim translates to "wonderful" or "charming," giving the name a warm, magnetic quality that goes far beyond its stately Latin roots. It is one of those rare names that manages to sound both classically distinguished and genuinely friendly at the same time.

  Maksim Chmerkovskiy, the fan-favorite 'Dancing with the Stars' pro who grew up hiding his Jewish identity in Soviet Ukraine, gave his son the Hebrew name Shai, meaning 'gift.' Cosmopolitan energy that plays well on any continent — that is what this name brings to the table. The delightful surprise that it means "wonderful" in Hebrew gives it a secret Jewish sparkle beneath its suave European exterior. A name that sounds like old-world aristocracy but secretly means something your bubbe would say with a smile — that is Maksim.

• Alternate Spellings: Maksym, Maxim
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Raquel
  ,
  Mila
  ,
  Malachi
  ,
  Alexander
• Theme: positive qualities