Magnus

Magnus is a Latin word meaning “great,” familiar from the title Carolus Magnus, or Charles the Great. It became an established personal name in Scandinavia, where several kings bore it. “Greatest” is a common loose rendering, but the ordinary Latin adjective is more accurately expressed as great.

The name has also appeared in literature, including works by Charles Dickens and Roald Dahl. Those fictional uses add associations to an already longstanding royal and linguistic history. Magnus has two syllables and a complete form that does not depend on a nickname, while its Latin origin and Scandinavian use can both be relevant to a family’s choice.