Maurice comes from the Latin Mauritius, meaning "Moorish" or "dark-skinned", and was spread through Europe by Saint Maurice, a Roman soldier venerated since late antiquity. In America it belongs to Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, and to the composer Maurice Ravel. Maurice ranked number 345 in the United States in 2000 and has declined gradually since, from number 617 in 2015 to number 1020 in 2025.