English pet form of names like Matthew or Amaziah; can also relate to Hebrew roots meaning 'strength of God.'
Maze as a given name draws from multiple possible sources, making it one of those names whose meaning shifts depending on the lens applied. The English word "maze" — a complex network of paths designed to disorient and challenge — entered Middle English from an uncertain source, possibly related to Old English words for confusion or delusion, and it carries centuries of symbolic resonance. The labyrinth, of which the maze is a descendant concept, appears in ancient Minoan culture, Egyptian mythology, and medieval cathedral floor designs as a symbol of life's journey, spiritual testing, and the search for the center of meaning.
To move through a maze is to engage with mystery, and the name carries that connotation. The name may also connect to Irish origins — Maze is a small townland in County Antrim, historically significant as the site of the Maze Prison (also called Long Kesh), which loomed large in the history of the Troubles. For parents of Irish heritage, the place-name association gives Maze a geographic anchor.
Separately, Maze has phonetic kinship with the Irish name Maeve (Meadhbh), the warrior queen of Connacht who appears in the great Ulster Cycle epics, and some parents may be drawn to Maze as a more accessible variant of that mythological name. As a contemporary given name, Maze is exceptionally rare and clearly of-the-moment — part of the broader movement toward short, striking names with an edge of mystery or whimsy. It shares sonic territory with names like Blaze, Haze, and Daze, all of which carry a slightly atmospheric, cinematic quality. The name suits a generation that prizes names with an enigmatic quality, something that invites a second look — which, fittingly, is precisely what a maze does.