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Maxine (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maxine
Actress Maxine Elliott (1868–1940) was an early influence on the popularity of the name Maxine.
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈmæksn/, max-EEN
GenderFeminine
Language(s)English
Origin
MeaningFeminine version of Max
Other names
Related namesMax, Maxen, Maxence, Maxene, Maxfield, Maxi, Maxie, Maxim, Maxima, Maxime, Maximilian, Maximiliana, Maximiliano, Maximina, Maximino, Maximo, Maximus, Maxon, Maxson, Maxton, Maxwell, Maxx, Maxxine
Maxene Andrews (1916–1995), top left, with sisters LaVerne, top right, and Patty, center, performed as the popular singing trio The Andrews Sisters.
Actress Sadie Sink portrayed Maxine "Max" Mayfield in the streaming series Stranger Things.

Maxine is an English feminine given name created as a feminine version of the name Max.[1]

It has been in regular use since the 1880s. Other names with the diminutive suffix -een, -ene, or -ine were also in fashion during the late 19th century and early 20th century.[2]

The increase in usage of the name in the 1890s has been attributed to the popularity of American actress Maxine Elliott, who was born Jessie Dermot. Another early media influence was Maxene Andrews of The Andrews Sisters singing trio. The influence of the Stranger Things character Max Mayfield is partially associated with the increase in popularity of the name since 2017.[3]

Usage

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The name first ranked among the top 1,000 names in use for newborn girls in the United States in 1884. It was among the top 1,000 names between 1893 and 1975, in 1978, in 1988, between 1991 and 1994, in 1996, and between 2016 and 2022. It was at the height of popularity between 1915 and 1930, when it ranked among the top 100 names for American girls. It has also been in occasional use elsewhere in the Anglosphere such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It has been among the top 500 names in use for girls in France since 2010 and among the top 100 names for girls in Belgium since 2017.[4] [5]

People

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Fictional characters

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  • Maxine Baker, daughter of Animal Man (Buddy Baker) in DC Comics
  • Maxine Baker, from the American comedy-drama series Ginny & Georgia
  • Maxine Barlow, from the British drama series Waterloo Road
  • Maxine Black, "Max", titular protagonist of the American television sitcom 2 Broke Girls
  • Max Caulfield, or Maxine, main character in the video game Life Is Strange
  • Maxine Chadway, from the television series Soul Food
  • Maxine Conway, from the Australian drama series, Wentworth
  • Maxine Gray, from the American television series, Judging Amy
  • Maxine Guevara, main character of the American TV series Dark Angel
  • Maxine Mayfield, "Max" or "Madmax", on the Netflix series Stranger Things
  • Maxine Minniver, from the British soap opera, Hollyoaks
  • Maxine Peacock, from the British soap opera, Coronation Street
  • Maxine Shaw, from the American television sitcom Living Single
  • Maxine Tarnow, main character in Thomas Pynchon's novel Bleeding Edge
  • Maxine Chambers, main character in Gene Kim's novel The Unicorn Project

Notes

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  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 60. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ Wattenberg, Laura (3 May 2023). "Today It's Blessyn, A Century Ago It Was ..." namerology.com. Namerology. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  3. ^ Sandel, Abby (15 January 2020). "Maxine: Baby Name of the Day". appellationmountain.net. Appellation Mountain. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Maxine". behindthename.com. Behind the Name. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Baby Names Observatory". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.