Everything about the name MAURICE

Meaning, origin, history

Maurice is a masculine given name of Latin origin. It is derived from the Roman family name Maurus, which is believed to have been an ethnic name for someone from Mauretania, a region in North Africa. The name Maurus is also thought to be related to the Latin word "maurus," meaning "dark" or "swarthy."

In ancient Rome, the name Maurice was often given to freed slaves who came from Mauretania. It was also used as a personal name by several early Christian saints, including Saint Maurice, a third-century Roman soldier who was martyred for his faith.

The name Maurice became particularly popular in France during the Middle Ages, where it was often used as a royal name. Several French kings and nobles bore the name Maurice, including Maurice of Sully, who was the bishop of Paris in the 12th century.

Over time, the name Maurice has been adopted by many different cultures around the world. In some languages, such as French and Italian, it is still commonly used as a masculine given name. However, in other languages, such as English, it has fallen out of fashion to some extent, although it can still be found occasionally.

In literature and art, Maurice has been used as a character name by several notable authors and artists, including E.M. Forster (who wrote "Maurice" about a gay romance in the early 20th century) and Eileen Agar (a photographer who used the pseudonym "Maurice" in her early work).

Popularity of the name MAURICE since 1880

Birth evolution

Popularity analysis

The name Maurice has seen varying levels of popularity over the years in the United States, as indicated by the birth statistics provided.

From 1898 to 1913, there was a steady increase in the number of births named Maurice, with a notable spike in 1913, when there were 35 births. This trend continued into the early 1920s, with the highest number of Maurice births recorded at 68 in 1928.

However, from the late 1920s onwards, the popularity of the name Maurice began to decline significantly. Between 1929 and 1945, there were fewer than 50 Maurice births each year, with some years seeing as few as 7 or even 5 births.

This trend continued into the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the number of Maurice births fluctuating between 5 and 31 per year. In total, over the period from 1898 to 1995, there were 2611 births named Maurice in the United States.

Despite the fluctuations in popularity over the years, it's clear that Maurice has remained a recognizable name in American society for well over a century, with thousands of individuals bearing this name.