Maze
A surname with several possible roots, including a French occupational name and a Dutch form related to the Maas/Meuse river.
The #7,059 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,109 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Maze is not straightforward: historical sources point to more than one possible origin. In French materials, it appears beside forms such as Mazet, Mazel, and Mazière, suggesting a connection with the old word maze or with place- and farm-related terms, though the exact line of development is not always clear. Dutch references also list Van Maze and related forms, which likely connect it to the Maas/Meuse river name. Because the evidence points in different directions, the safest view is that Maze can arise from either French or Dutch surname traditions, depending on the family.
History
The name is attested in historical surname lists in both French and Dutch contexts, but the excerpts do not give a single agreed derivation. In modern usage it is relatively uncommon, which makes independent family lines more likely to preserve different origins under the same spelling. In the United States, Maze may also reflect immigrant spelling simplification or anglicization from a related continental form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Dutch genealogical sources include Maze among surnames that may be linked to the Maas river, one of the great waterways of western Europe.
From the historical record
“Mandrake. Maze. Mole. Muspratt.”
— Ludus Patronymicus; or, the etymology of curious surnamesNotable people named Maze
- Tina Maze (b. 1983)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.