Maverick, both a surname-turned-given-name and word name, comes from the English word maverick, meaning "independent." It was popularized by Samuel Maverick, a 19th century Texas cattle rancher who refused to brand his cattle. As a result, people started calling the unbranded cattle mavericks. Maverick started gaining popularity as a given name in the early-2000s and has seen massive growth in recent years, debuting in the top-100 for boy names in 2017 and settling in the top-50 every year since 2020. Several celebrities have joined in by naming their sons Maverick, including "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Eva Marcille, Olympic champion Michael Phelps and former country singer Granger Smith. "Big Brother" star Jessica Graf switched it up a bit by naming her daughter Maverick, but most people today think of Tom Cruise's character Maverick in the "Top Gun" franchise. Dallas sports fans also like this name thanks to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.
